- The lion’s share – The largest part.
Example: John took the lion’s share of the profit after the deal. - Let the cat out of the bag – Reveal a secret.
Example: She let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party. - Wild goose chase – A futile search.
Example: Looking for my lost pen in the market was a wild goose chase. - Kill two birds with one stone – Achieve two things at once.
Example: By visiting Lagos, I killed two birds with one stone – business and family. - Straight from the horse’s mouth – From the most reliable source.
Example: I heard it straight from the horse’s mouth that she’s leaving the company. - Cry wolf – Raise a false alarm.
Example: He cried wolf so many times that nobody believed him when the fire started. - The black sheep – The odd or bad member of a group.
Example: He’s the black sheep of the family because he never follows traditions. - A white elephant – A costly but useless possession.
Example: That abandoned stadium is a white elephant. - Take the bull by the horns – Face a problem directly.
Example: She took the bull by the horns and confronted her boss about the issue. - Eagle eye – Very observant.
Example: The teacher has an eagle eye for mistakes in essays.
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- Busy as a bee – Very active and hardworking.
Example: She’s as busy as a bee preparing for the wedding. - A sitting duck – An easy target.
Example: Without security, the shop was a sitting duck for thieves. - Curiosity killed the cat – Being too curious can cause trouble.
Example: Don’t ask too many questions—remember, curiosity killed the cat. - A dark horse – Someone with hidden talents.
Example: He turned out to be a dark horse in the competition. - Monkey business – Dishonest or silly behavior.
Example: Stop that monkey business and get back to work. - Horse around – Play roughly.
Example: The kids were horsing around in the living room. - Birds of a feather flock together – Similar people stick together.
Example: The two troublemakers became friends—birds of a feather flock together. - A fish out of water – Feeling uncomfortable.
Example: I felt like a fish out of water at the formal dinner. - Raining cats and dogs – Raining heavily.
Example: It’s raining cats and dogs, so take an umbrella. - Hold your horses – Wait or be patient.
Example: Hold your horses, I’m not ready yet. - Pig out – Eat too much.
Example: We pigged out on pizza last night. - Like water off a duck’s back – Criticism that doesn’t affect someone.
Example: The insults were like water off a duck’s back to him. - Wolf in sheep’s clothing – Someone pretending to be good but is dangerous.
Example: Be careful, he’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing. - Cash cow – A reliable source of income.
Example: The iPhone is Apple’s cash cow. - The early bird catches the worm – Success comes to those who act quickly.
Example: I arrived early and got the best seat—the early bird catches the worm. - Ants in your pants – Can’t stay still, restless.
Example: The kids had ants in their pants before the trip. - Chicken out – To lose courage.
Example: He was going to propose but chickened out at the last minute. - A little bird told me – Hinted by someone secretly.
Example: A little bird told me you’re getting married soon. - One-trick pony – Someone with only one skill.
Example: He’s a one-trick pony; all he does is tell jokes. - Get someone’s goat – To annoy someone.
Example: His arrogance really gets my goat. - Snake in the grass – A hidden enemy.
Example: Watch out for her—she’s a snake in the grass. - Dog-eat-dog world – A ruthless environment.
Example: The business world is a dog-eat-dog world. - Every dog has its day – Everyone gets a chance at success.
Example: Don’t worry, every dog has its day. - Let sleeping dogs lie – Don’t disturb a situation.
Example: Don’t ask him about the past—let sleeping dogs lie. - Top dog – The leader or most important person.
Example: He’s the top dog in the company. - Dog tired – Very exhausted.
Example: After the long trip, I was dog tired. - Hair of the dog – A drink to cure a hangover.
Example: He had a beer in the morning as hair of the dog. - Work like a dog – Work very hard.
Example: She worked like a dog to finish the project. - Tail wagging the dog – A smaller part controlling the whole.
Example: The minor issue became the focus, like the tail wagging the dog. - Dog days – The hottest days of summer.
Example: We stayed indoors during the dog days of August. - Fat cat – A rich and powerful person.
Example: The fat cats of Wall Street control big money. - A cat nap – A short sleep.
Example: I took a cat nap before dinner. - Fight like cats and dogs – To quarrel intensely.
Example: The siblings fight like cats and dogs. - Cat got your tongue? – Why are you silent?
Example: You’re unusually quiet—cat got your tongue? - Look what the cat dragged in – Said when someone arrives unexpectedly.
Example: Well, look what the cat dragged in—it’s Tom! - Cool cat – A stylish, relaxed person.
Example: He’s a cool cat with his sunglasses on. - Scaredy-cat – A coward.
Example: Don’t be a scaredy-cat, try the rollercoaster. - Play cat and mouse – To tease or trick.
Example: The detective played cat and mouse with the suspect. - Cur like a whipped dog – To act humbly after defeat.
Example: He left the room like a cur dog after being scolded. - Paper tiger – Something that looks powerful but is weak.
Example: The army looked strong but was just a paper tiger. - Goosebumps – Reaction of fear or excitement.
Example: The scary movie gave me goosebumps. - Cook someone’s goose – To ruin someone’s plans.
Example: Forgetting the file cooked his goose. - Golden goose – A valuable resource.
Example: Don’t sell the land—it’s our golden goose. - Mother hen – A very protective person.
Example: She’s a mother hen with her children. - Pecking order – Social ranking.
Example: In the office, there’s a strict pecking order. - As the crow flies – In a straight line.
Example: The village is 10 miles away as the crow flies. - A cold fish – An unemotional person.
Example: He’s a cold fish, never showing feelings. - Big fish in a small pond – An important person in a small group.
Example: He’s a big fish in a small pond at the local club. - Fishy – Suspicious.
Example: Something smells fishy about his story. - Drink like a fish – Drink excessively.
Example: He drinks like a fish at parties. - There are plenty more fish in the sea – More opportunities exist.
Example: Don’t worry about the breakup—there are plenty more fish in the sea. - Fishy business – Dishonest dealings.
Example: The contract smells of fishy business. - Fish out – To pull out or find something.
Example: She fished out a coin from her purse. - Neither fish nor fowl – Something unclear or strange.
Example: His idea is neither fish nor fowl. - Cat’s whiskers – Something excellent.
Example: That phone is the cat’s whiskers. - To bell the cat – To do a risky or dangerous task.
Example: Someone must bell the cat and confront the manager. - All bark and no bite – Threatening but harmless.
Example: Don’t worry, he’s all bark and no bite. - Barking up the wrong tree – Making a false assumption.
Example: If you think I broke the vase, you’re barking up the wrong tree. - Cat on a hot tin roof – Very restless.
Example: She was like a cat on a hot tin roof before the exam. - The cat’s out of the bag – A secret is revealed.
Example: The cat’s out of the bag about their engagement. - Birdbrain – A foolish person.
Example: Don’t be such a birdbrain. - Nest egg – Savings for the future.
Example: They have a nest egg for retirement. - In the doghouse – In trouble.
Example: He’s in the doghouse for forgetting her birthday. - Parrot fashion – Without understanding, by rote.
Example: He learned the poem parrot fashion. - Henpecked – A man controlled by his wife.
Example: He’s completely henpecked by his wife. - Copycat – Someone who imitates others.
Example: Don’t be a copycat, find your own style. - Stubborn as a mule – Very stubborn.
Example: He’s as stubborn as a mule about his opinions. - Sacred cow – Something beyond criticism.
Example: The constitution is treated as a sacred cow. - A bull in a china shop – A clumsy person.
Example: He’s like a bull in a china shop when he’s angry. - Till the cows come home – For a very long time.
Example: They can argue till the cows come home, but I won’t agree. - Holy cow! – Expression of surprise.
Example: Holy cow! That’s amazing. - Talk the hind leg off a donkey – Talk endlessly.
Example: She can talk the hind leg off a donkey. - A donkey’s years – A very long time.
Example: I haven’t seen him in donkey’s years. - Donkey work – Hard, boring work.
Example: He did the donkey work while his boss took credit. - Hog the limelight – Take all the attention.
Example: She always hogs the limelight at parties. - Greedy as a pig – Very greedy.
Example: He was as greedy as a pig at dinner. - Sweat like a pig – Sweat heavily.
Example: I was sweating like a pig in the sun. - Make a pig’s ear of something – Do something badly.
Example: He made a pig’s ear of fixing the car. - Get on your high horse – Act superior.
Example: Stop getting on your high horse and listen. - Straight from the horse’s mouth – From the original source.
Example: I heard the news straight from the horse’s mouth. - Put the cart before the horse – Do things in the wrong order.
Example: Starting the business before research was putting the cart before the horse. - Beating a dead horse – Wasting effort on something useless.
Example: Talking about that project is like beating a dead horse. - Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth – Don’t criticize a gift.
Example: Accept the offer—don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. - Horse of a different color – A completely different matter.
Example: Politics is a horse of a different color. - Dark horse – A hidden winner.
Example: She’s the dark horse of the competition. - A lame duck – A weak or failing person/organization.
Example: The company became a lame duck after the scandal. - Duck soup – Something very easy.
Example: For him, solving math is duck soup. - Like a lamb to the slaughter – Innocently heading towards danger.
Example: He went to the meeting like a lamb to the slaughter. - Black as a raven – Very dark.
Example: Her hair is black as a raven. - Proud as a peacock – Very proud.
Example: He was as proud as a peacock after his promotion.
- Busy as a bee – Very active and hardworking.