Animal Idioms (1)
Let’s learn some animal idioms
Busy as a bee
Meaning:to be extremely busy or preoccupied 忙得不可開交
EXAMPLE
Timothy has been as busy as a bee lately because he has to prepare for his college entrance exams.
Make a beeline (for)
Meaning:to head straight for something or some place 直接朝…而去
EXAMPLE
After being hungry all afternoon in class, I immediately made a beeline for the refrigerator when I got home from school.
Birds of a feather flock together
Meaning:this proverb explains how people with similar characteristics or interests tend to be friends. 物以類聚
EXAMPLE
Chris: Did you notice how those girls only wear pink outfits?
Davis: Well, birds of a feather flock together, they say.
To kill two birds with one stone
Meaning:how two problems can be solved at one time with a single action 一石二鳥;一舉兩得
EXAMPLE
I’ll kill two birds with one stone by doing chores around the house. I can not only exercise daily but also earn some extra allowance.
The early bird catches the worm
Meaning:success comes from taking initiatives and being diligent 早起的鳥有蟲吃
EXAMPLE
If an opportunity comes by you should grasp it as soon as possible. After all, the early bird catches the worm.
Butterflies in one’s stomach
Meaning:you feel nervous and anxious about something that is about to happen 忐忑不安
EXAMPLE
Right before my major presentation, I started to have butterflies in my stomach.
Straw that broke the camel’s back
Meaning:the last in a series of unfortunate events that causes everything to finally collapse
壓垮駱駝的最後一根稻草
EXAMPLE
I was willing to put up with the poor schooling system until they fired my favorite math teacher – that was the straw that broke the camel’s back, and I decided to transfer.
http://ksbillmartinaward.wikispaces.com/Butterflies....+Haz
To let the cat out of the bag
Meaning:to accidentally reveal a secret or surprise 不小心洩露秘密
EXAMPLE
How come everyone knows that I got accepted into Harvard? Who let the cat out of the bag?
Cat got your tongue?
Meaning: why are you not saying anything? 說不出話;無話可說
EXAMPLE
Why are you suddenly speechless, Jill? Cat got your tongue?
fraidy-cat
Meaning: someone who is easily frightened (used by children)
EXAMPLE:
The little boy called his friend a fraidy-cat because he wouldn’t climb the tree.
Don’t count one’s chickens before they are hatched
Meaning:not to plan how to utilize the good results of some event before those results have actually occurred.
別打如意算盤;別高興得太早
EXAMPLE
I’m a pessimist. I always tell people to not count their chickens before they are hatched.
To chicken out (of something)
Meaning:to back out of something at the last minute, usually because of fear or cowardice. 臨陣脫逃;膽怯
EXAMPLE
We dared Freddy to go bungee-jumping, but he chickened out at the last minute.
Crocodile tears
Meaning:to cry or shed crocodile tears is to show sadness that is not sincere 貓哭耗子假慈悲
EXAMPLE
Children often shed crocodile tears in the hope that they will get their way.
Every dog has his day
Meaning: everyone will have his chance or turn; everyone will get what he deserves
人人皆有得意之日;好人終有好報,惡人終有惡報。
EXAMPLE:
Don't worry about him. Every dog has his day and he will eventually suffer for all the bad things that he is doing.
It’s a dog eat dog world
Meaning:people will do anything to be successful, even if what they do may harm others 弱肉強食;人吃人的世界
EXAMPLE
It’s a dog eat dog world in the entertainment industry – people will do anything to stay in the spotlight.
You can’t teach an old dog new tricks
Meaning:it is difficult to change someone’s ways when he or she has been doing it the same way for a long time
老狗變不出新把戲
EXAMPLE
I tried to teach my father to use MSN Messenger, but you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.
His/her bark is worse than his/her bite
Meaning:someone who intimidates but never actually implements the threats 會叫的狗不咬人;說說而已
EXAMPLE
Underneath his harsh exterior, the principal is actually a really decent guy. His bark is definitely worse than his bite.
source:flow.english / 整理:Josie
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