تعبيرات متعلقه ب ال animals, birds, insects, fish

ass about =behave foollishly (Those boys are not working ; they are just assing about

ass about with = meddle with, play stupidly with (Don't ass about with the television; you'll break it

a beast = a cruel, brutal person (Just look at the way he treats his wife! He is a beast

as busy as a bee = very busy

a bird = a girl (Bill is taking his bird to the pictures tonight

kill two birds with one stone = achieve two aims at once

like a bull in a china shop = in a very clumsy rough way (The workman stamped around the kitchen like a bull in a china shop)t
كفايه كده النهارده ونكمل بعد اخذ الردود من محبى اللغه مش محبى الامتحانات


============================== cat Idioms


alley cat

- a stray cat
I began to feed the alley cat and now it comes to my house every day.

as conceited as a barber's cat

- very conceited, vain
My friend became as conceited as a barber's cat after she won the award at school.

as weak as a kitten

- weak, sickly
The girl is as weak as a kitten and cannot carry the pile of books.

cat gets one`s tongue

- one cannot speak because of shyness
The cat got the woman's tongue and she could not say anything at all.

a cat nap

- a short sleep taken during the day
I had a cat nap during the afternoon so that I would feel *******ed in the evening.

a cat on a hot tin roof

- full of lively activity
The boy was jumping around like a cat on a hot tin roof and we could not make him be quiet.

a copycat

- someone who copies another person`s work etc.
The boy is a copycat according to the other students in the class.

curiosity killed the cat

- being too nosy may lead a person into trouble
"You should not worry about what your friend is doing. Remember, curiosity killed the cat."

fight like cats and dogs

- to argue and fight with someone (usually used for people who know each other)
The two children were fighting like cats and dogs when we entered the room.

a fraidy-cat

- someone who is easily frightened (usually used by children)
The little boy called his friend a fraidy-cat because his friend would not climb the tree.

let the cat out of the bag

- to tell something that is supposed to be a secret
The teacher let the cat out of the bag when she began talking about the plans for the new school.

look like something the cat dragged in

- to look tired/worn out/dirty
I was very tired and I am sure that I looked like something the cat dragged in.

look like the cat that swallowed/ate the canary

- to look smug and self-satisfied, to look as if you have just had a great success
"You look like the cat that swallowed the canary. What happened?"

not enough room to swing a cat

- not very much space
There was not enough room to swing a cat in the small apartment.

play cat and mouse with (someone)

- to tease or fool someone, to change between different types of behavior when dealing with someone
The man is playing cat and mouse with his company about his plans to quit or not.

put the cat among the pigeons

- to cause trouble
Sending the bad supervisor to talk to the angry workers was like putting the cat among the pigeons.

rain cats and dogs

- to rain very hard
It has been raining cats and dogs all day.

rub (someone/someone's fur) the wrong way

- to irritate someone (just as you would irritate a dog or cat if you rub their fur the wrong way)
The woman who I work with rubs me the wrong way when I speak to her.

a scaredy-cat

- someone who is easily frightened (usually used by children)
The children called their friend a scaredy-cat because she would not go into the empty house.

there is more than one way to skin a cat

- there is more than one way to do something
I knew that there was more than one way to skin a cat so I did not worry about the rules and time limit of my project.

when the cat's away, the mice will play

- when you are not watching someone they may get into trouble
When the cat's away, the mice will play and when the teacher left the classroom the students began to move around. ================================== cow Idioms


as awkward as a cow on roller skates

- very awkward
The little girl was as awkward as a cow on roller skates when she first began riding her bicycle.

a bull in a china shop

- a tactless person who upsets others or upsets plans, a very clumsy person
The boy is like a bull in a china shop so you should be careful if you invite him to your house.

a cash cow

- a product or service that makes much money
Our new business is a cash cow. We are making a lot of money now.

have a cow

- to become very angry and upset about something
Our teacher had a cow when he discovered that nobody had prepared for the class.

hit the bulls-eye

- to reach the main point of something
I think that our manager hit the bulls-eye when he talked about the real problems in the company.

Holy cow

- used to express strong feelings of astonishment/pleasure/anger
"Holy cow," the man said when he saw the car that had hit the street lamp.

a sacred cow

- a person or thing that is never criticized or changed even if it should be (from a cow which is sacred in India)
The school lunch program is a sacred cow which they will never change.

take the bull by the horns

- to take decisive and direct action
My aunt decided to take the bull by the horns and begin preparations for the family reunion.

until the cows come home

- until very late, for a long time
We can talk until the cows come home this weekend.

=============================== تابعوا المصطلحات
dog Idioms


as clean as a hound's tooth

- very clean
The classroom was as clean as a hound's tooth when the students finished cleaning it.

as crooked as a dog's hind leg

- dishonest
The politician is as crooked as a dog's hind leg and everybody dislikes him.

as sick as a dog

- very sick
My friend was as sick as a dog when he left the restaurant last night.

one's bark is worse than one's bite

- one's words are worse than one's actions
You should not worry about her. Her bark is worse than her bite and she is really a very nice person.

bark up the wrong tree

- to choose the wrong course of action, to ask the wrong person (a hunting dog may make a mistake when chasing an animal and bark up the wrong tree)
My boss is barking up the wrong tree. I did not cause the computer problem because I was away at the time.

call the dogs off

- to stop threatening/chasing/hounding someone
The police decided to call the dogs off and stop hunting for the man.

dog and pony show

- something that you disapprove of because you think that it has only been organized to impress you (like a dog and pony show in a circus)
We had serious questions about the project but we only got a dog and pony show when we asked for answers from our business partners.

dog-eat-dog

- ready or willing to fight and hurt others to get what one wants
It is a dog-eat-dog world in our company.

dog in the manger

- someone who prevents others from doing what they themselves do not want to do (in Aesop's Fables a dog that cannot eat hay lays in the hayrack and prevents the other animals from eating the hay)
My friend always acts like a dog in the manger and often tries to prevent us from enjoying ourselves.

every dog has his day

- everyone will have his chance or turn, everyone will get what he deserves
"Don`t worry about him. Every dog has his day and he will eventually suffer for all the bad things that he is doing."

fight like cats and dogs

- to argue and fight with someone (usually used for people who know each other)
The two children were fighting like cats and dogs when we entered the room.

go to the dogs

- to deteriorate, to become bad
Many things in our city have gone to the dogs during the last ten years.

the hair of the dog that bit one

- a drink of alcohol that one takes when recovering from a hangover
The man woke up and had the hair of the dog that bit him before he ate breakfast.

to hound (someone)

- to pursue/chase someone, to harass someone
The manager is always hounding the younger members of her staff to make sure that they work hard.

in the doghouse

- in disgrace or disfavor, in trouble
The man is in the doghouse with his wife because he came home late last night.

lead a dog`s life

- to lead a miserable life
The man is leading a dog`s life since he married the woman who everyone told him not to.

let sleeping dogs lie

- to not make trouble if you do not have to
You should let sleeping dogs lie and not ask our boss any questions about the dispute.

put on the dog

- to dress or entertain in a luxurious and extravagant manner
We put on the dog for my parents when they came to visit us.

rub (someone/someone's fur) the wrong way

- to irritate someone (just as you would irritate a dog or cat if you rub their fur the wrong way)
The woman who I work with rubs me the wrong way when I speak to her.

see a man about a dog

- to leave for some unmentioned purpose (often to go to the washroom)
I left the table in the restaurant to go and see a man about a dog.

a shaggy dog story

- a long and often pointless story that is told as a joke and often ends in a very silly or unexpected way
My friend told me a shaggy dog story about how he lost his bicycle.

one's tail between one`s legs

- feeling beaten or humiliated (like a frightened or defeated dog as it walks away)
The man left the meeting with his tail between his legs after he was criticized by the company president.

the tail wagging the dog

- a situation where a small part controls the whole thing
When the small group of managers began to run the large company, it was like the tail wagging the dog.

top dog

- the most important person in an organization
My uncle is the top dog in his company.

turn tail

- to run away from trouble or danger
We decided to turn tail and leave the restaurant before there was an argument.

you can't teach an old dog new tricks

- it is difficult for older people to learn new things
You can't teach an old dog new tricks and I don't think that my father will ever change his eating habits.
=================================== تابعونى لو فاضيين انما لوسبتونى حفضل ليوميم احط مصطلحات
monkey Idioms


go ape (over someone or something)

- to become highly excited or angry about someone or something
Our teacher will go ape if he sees that you have not finished the work that was due today.

make a monkey out of (someone)

- to make someone look foolish
My friend made a monkey out of me when he started arguing with me in front of my boss.

monkey around with (someone or something)

- to play with or waste time with someone or something
The father and son spent the morning monkeying around with the old radio.

monkey business

- unethical or illegal activity, mischief
The boy should stop the monkey business and try to do the job the correct way.

a monkey on one's back

- a serious problem that stops someone from being successful at something
The time without scoring a goal was a monkey on the back of the famous soccer player.

monkey see, monkey do

- someone copies something that someone else does
It is always monkey see, monkey do for the boy. He copies everything that his friend does.

more fun than a barrel of monkeys

- very funny, fun
The children love the man because he is more fun than a barrel of monkeys and makes everybody laugh


================================ mouse Idioms


as poor as a church mouse

- very poor
My cousin is as poor as a church mouse and never has any money to spend.

as quiet as a mouse

- very quiet, shy
I was as quiet as a mouse when I left my house early this morning.

the best-laid plans of mice and men

- the best thought-out plans that anyone can make
The best-laid plans of mice and men could not prevent the problems that we had with our travel plans.

play cat and mouse with (someone)

- to tease or fool someone, to change between different types of behavior when dealing with someone
The man is playing cat and mouse with his company about his plans to quit or not.

when the cat's away, the mice will play

- when you are not watching someone they may get into trouble
When the cat's away, the mice will play and when the teacher left the classroom the students began to move around.

================================ sheep/goat Idioms


as gentle as a lamb

- very gentle
The girl is as gentle as a lamb when she is with her little sister.

as innocent as a lamb

- having no guilt, naive
The little girl is as innocent as a lamb and everybody loves her.

as meek as a lamb

- quiet, docile, meek
The secretary was as meek as a lamb when she went to ask her boss for a salary increase.

the black sheep of the family

- the worst or the most unpopular/disliked member of a family
My cousin is the black sheep of the family and nobody likes to talk about him.

get (someone`s) goat

- to annoy someone
My friend is always complaining about the way that I do things which gets my goat.

in two shakes of a lamb's tail

- very quickly
I promised that I would meet my friend in two shakes of a lamb's tail.

like lambs to the slaughter

- quietly and without complaining about the dangers that may lie ahead
Our football team went like lambs to the slaughter to meet the best football team in the country.

separate the sheep from the goats

- to divide people into two groups
We had to separate the sheep from the goats when we began to make selections for the school choir.
================================== wolf Idioms


cry wolf

- to give a false alarm, to warn of a danger that is not there
The man is crying wolf. There is no danger that the electrical system will cause a fire.

keep the wolf from the door

- to maintain oneself at the most basic level
My friend's part-time job is enough for him to keep the wolf from the door.

keep the wolves at bay

- to fight against some kind of trouble
The university students were angry and the administration had to work hard to keep the wolves at bay.

a lone wolf

- someone who prefers to spend time alone and has few friends
The boy was a lone wolf and spent most of his time alone.

throw (someone) to the wolves

- to send someone into danger without protection, to sacrifice someone
The salesman decided to throw his co-worker to the wolves when he asked him to meet the angry customer.

wolf down (something)

- to gulp down something, to eat something quickly
I wolfed down my dinner and left the house for the movie.

a wolf in sheep`s clothing

- a person who pretends to be good but really is bad
"Be careful of that man. He is a wolf in sheep`s clothing."
===================================

Birds

an albatross (around someone's neck)

- a problem that prevents someone from succeeding
The man's lack of a university degree was an albatross around his neck and prevented him from being promoted.

as a duck takes to water

- easily and naturally
The little boy started to swim just as a duck takes to water.

as bald as a coot

- completely bald
The man in the gas station was as bald as a coot.

as crazy as a loon

- crazy
Our neighbor is as crazy as a loon.

as dead as a dodo

- dead, no longer in existence
The dog was as dead as a dodo after the accident.

as easy as duck soup

- very easy, requiring no effort
Convincing the man to buy the car was as easy as duck soup.

as free as a bird

- carefree, completely free
I was as free as a bird after I finished my last school exam.

as graceful as a swan

- very graceful
The figure skater was as graceful as a swan.

as happy as a lark

- very happy and cheerful
The boy was as happy as a lark when he received his birthday present.

as hoarse as a crow

- very hoarse
The professor was as hoarse as a crow when he finished the lecture.

as mad as a wet hen

- angry
The nurse was as mad as a wet hen when the patient tried to bite her.

as naked as a jaybird

- naked
The little boy was as naked as a jaybird when he finished his bath.

as proud as a peacock

- very proud, haughty
The father was as proud as a peacock of his young son.

as scarce as hen's teeth/scarcer than hen's teeth

- very scarce or nonexistent
Cheap hotels in this city are as scarce as hen's teeth.

as silly as a goose

- very foolish, very silly
My aunt acted as silly as a goose last evening.

as soft as down

- very soft to the touch (down is the soft/fine feathers from a goose or duck)
The fur on the little dog was as soft as down.

as the crow flies

- by the most direct way, along a straight line between two places
As the crow flies it is about six kilometers between my house and downtown.

as wise as an owl

- very wise
My grandfather is as wise as an owl and he seems to know everything.

a bat out of hell

- very fast (bats are not birds but are mammals that can fly)
The man left here like a bat out of hell. I do not know why he was in such a hurry.

bats in the belfry

- crazy, eccentric (bats are not birds but are mammals that can fly)
I think that my boss has bats in the belfry. His ideas are absolutely crazy.

bird brain

- someone who you think is stupid
The man is a bird brain and he is always making mistakes at work.

a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

- something that is certain is better than something that is not certain
"You should keep the prize money and not try to win more. Remember that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."

birds and the bees

- the facts about *** and birth and life
The boy learned about the birds and the bees in his health education class at school.

birds-eye view

- a general view from above
"Let`s go up to the roof and get a birds-eye view of the surrounding area."

birds of a feather flock together

- people who are similar become friends or join together
"Do not complain about your friends. Remember that birds of a feather flock together. They are just like you."

chicken and egg situation

- two things happen together and it is difficult to see which one of them caused the other
It was a chicken and egg situation and it was difficult to know who caused the problems with the computer.

chicken feed

- a small sum of money
The money that I spent last night was chicken feed and I am not worried about it at all.

chicken-livered

- cowardly, easily scared
The boy called his friend chicken-livered which made him very angry.

chicken out of (doing something)

- to stop doing something because of fear
My friend was planning to come with us but he chickened out at the last moment.

chickens come home to roost

- someone`s words or actions come back to cause trouble for him or her
The man was very mean to other people when he was supervisor. Now his chickens have come home to roost and people are very unkind to him.

clip (someone`s) wings

- to limit or hold someone back, to bring someone under control
We plan to clip the supervisor's wings as he is becoming too aggressive when dealing with other people.

cock-and-bull story

- a silly story that is not true
The student told her teacher a cock-and-bull story about why she was absent.

cock of the walk

- someone who thinks that he or she is more important than others in a group
The supervisor thinks that he is cock of the walk and can do anything that he wants.

cold turkey

- abruptly and without medical aid (used when someone stops taking addictive drugs or tries to stop a bad habit)
The government program helped the drug addicts stop using heroin cold turkey.

cook (someone`s) goose

- to destroy someone`s future chances or reputation
The woman cooked her goose when she fought against her employer and lost.

count one`s chickens before they`re hatched

- to depend or think that you will get something before you actually have it
"Don`t count your chickens before they`re hatched. Remember that you may not get the job that you expect and you should not spend too much money."

dead duck

- someone in a hopeless situation or condition
The man is a dead duck. When the police catch him he will have to go to jail.

duck soup

- a task that does not require much effort
The exam was duck soup. I am sure that I did very well.

eagle eye

- an intently watchful eye
The boy has an eagle eye and he never misses anything.

early bird

- someone who arrives someplace early or starts something early
I am an early bird and I like to arrive early at work every morning.

the early bird catches the worm

- a person who gets up early in the morning has the best chance of success
"Let`s leave at six o`clock in the morning. Remember, the early bird catches the worm."

eat crow

- to admit that you are mistaken or defeated
Our boss was forced to eat crow when he discovered that what he had said was totally wrong.

eat like a bird

- to eat very little
The boy must be sick. He has been eating like a bird recently.

feather in one`s cap

- something to be proud of, an honor
Winning the speech contest was a feather in my son's cap and we are very proud of him.

feather one`s nest

- to look after one`s own financial interests - especially while holding public office
The politician was feathering his nest for many years until he was replaced in the election.

fly the coop

- to escape, to leave (like a chicken escaping from a chicken coop)
The two boys wanted to fly the coop when the school bell rang.

for the birds

- not interesting, something that you do not like, worthless
The movie was for the birds so we left early and went to eat.

foul one's own nest

- to harm one's own interests, to bring discredit to one's family
I do not want to foul my own nest so I try to be very honest in all of my dealings with others.

get one's ducks in a row

- to put one's affairs or something in order
When I get my ducks in a row I will be able to make a decision about a new career.

go to bed with the chickens

- to go to bed as the sun is setting, to go to bed very early
My grandfather always goes to bed with the chickens because he works on a farm.

a gone goose

- someone or something that has departed or run away
The boy is a gone goose. He will not be returning today.

goose bumps

- a prickly or bumpy feeling on one's skin because of cold/fear/excitement (like the skin of a goose or chicken)
I got goose bumps as I watched the horror movie.

one's goose is cooked

- one has been discovered to have done something wrong and he or she is now in trouble
My goose is cooked. Soon my friend will discover that I lost her bicycle.

in fine feather

- in good humor
My friend is in fine feather today and he has been laughing all morning.

kill the goose that lays the golden egg

- to spoil/destroy something that is beneficial or makes a lot of money
My friends sold part of their business but it is the most profitable part. I think that they have killed the goose that lays the golden egg.

kill two birds with one stone

- to succeed in doing two things by only one action
"Let`s have the meeting when we come to town to go shopping so that we can kill two birds with one stone."

lame duck

- a politician who has little time left in office and therefore has little power
The politician is a lame-duck leader and he is not effective at all.

lay an egg

- to give a bad performance
The performer laid an egg at the concert last night.

like water off a duck`s back

- without any effect, easily
Criticism falls away from my father like water off a duck`s back and he never worries about anything.

a little bird told me

- something is learned from a mysterious and secret source who you do not want to name
A little bird told me that my friends will have a surprise party for me next week.

look like the cat that swallowed the canary

- to look very self-satisfied, to look as if you have just had a great success
The boy looked like the cat that swallowed the canary after he won the relay race.

lovely weather for ducks

- rainy weather
I commented to the wet letter carrier that it was lovely weather for ducks today.

neither fish nor fowl

- something that does not belong to a definite group
The manager's idea was neither fish nor fowl. Nobody knew what to do with it.

night owl

- someone who likes to stay up very late at night
My friend is a night owl and he loves to stay up late at night.

pecking order

- the way that people are ranked in relation to each other
I have not worked at my company very long so I do not understand the pecking order yet.

play chicken

- to do something dangerous in order to see who becomes frightened first and stops
The two boys were playing chicken in the schoolyard.

rare bird

- someone who is unusual
The woman is a rare bird and she has done many interesting things in her life.

ruffle its feathers

- a bird points its feathers outward
The bird sat in the tree and ruffled its feathers.

ruffle (someone's) feathers

- to upset or annoy someone
I am usually very careful not to ruffle my supervisor's feathers.

rule the roost

- to be the boss or manager somewhere but often at home (a roost is a place where birds can perch/sit)
My grandfather ruled the roost in his family.

run around like a chicken with its head cut off

- to run around frantically and with no aim or purpose
I ran around like a chicken with its head cut off all morning as I prepared for my trip.

sitting duck

- an unsuspecting person who is easily fooled - as if waiting to be attacked
The soldier should move away from the window. He is like a sitting duck for the enemy.

spread one's wings

- to begin to be independent and try new things
My uncle's friend is beginning to spread his wings and try many new things.

no spring chicken

- not young anymore
I do not know how old my aunt is but she is no spring chicken.

swan song

- the last work or performance by an artist before death or retirement
The actor's swan song was his magnificent performance in his recent movie.

take (someone) under one's wings

- to begin to look after and care for a person
The teacher took the young boy under her wings when he first came to the school.

talk turkey

- to talk frankly, to talk business
I went to see my friend because I knew that it was time to talk turkey with him.

try out one's wings

- to try to do something that you have recently learned or become qualified to do
I plan to try out my wings at golfing now that my lessons have finished.

ugly duckling

- an ugly or plain child (who grows up to be pretty)
The girl was an ugly duckling when she was a child but now she is quite beautiful.

under the wings of (someone)

- to be under the care/control/protection of someone
The new teacher is now under the wings of the principal of the school.

watch (someone or something) like a hawk

- to watch someone very carefully
The mother watched her young child like a hawk.

what's good/sauce for the goose is good/sauce for the gander

- what is good for one person should be good for another person as well
What's good for the goose is good for the gander and if the food is good enough for me, then it is good enough for the other members of the basketball team.

wild goose chase

- a chase that is futile or worthless
The motorcycle riders led the police on a wild goose chase.

wing it

- to do the best in a situation that one is not prepared for
I forgot to study so I had to wing it on the test.

================================