English Vocabulary

Animal Idioms - Idioms Derived From the names of animals

Take the bull by the horns

When you take the bull by the horns you face a difficult situation boldly.

If I were you, I would take the bull by the horns and dismiss him from service.

Cat and dog life

If you and your partner are leading a cat and dog life, you are constantly quarrelling with each other.

Let the cat out of the bag

When you let the cat out of the bag you reveal a secret by mistake.

I didn’t want anyone to know about my winning the jackpot, but my sister let the cat out of the bag.

Rain cats and dogs

When it rains cats and dogs it rains very heavily.

Till the cows come home (for a very long time)

We can discuss the problem till the cows come home, but that isn’t going to solve it.

Cow someone into doing something (force someone to do something by threatening or frightening)

You can’t cow them into submission.
If the management thinks that they can cow the workers into submission they are wrong.

Dog in the manger (someone who doesn’t let another person do or have something which he himself cannot do or have)

He is a real dog in the manger. He will neither eat the cake nor let us eat it.

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