To put the card before the horse means to
do things in the wrong order.
to push something rather than pull it.
To follow someone without thinking is 'TO FOLLOW LIKE ...'.
HORSES
SHEEP
GEESE
HENS
To fight like cats and dogs.
To fight very noisily.
To fight a lot.
To not criticise a gift, even if you don't like it is 'TO NOT LOOK A GIFT ... IN THE MOUTH'.
LION
DOLPHIN
HORSE
TIGER
To look like the cat that got the cream.
To have a satisfied appearance.
To look dirty.
To have no restrictions. 'TO BE FREE AS A ...'.
FISH
BIRD
Like a fish out of water is...
to be in a place where you don't belong.
to be stuck in the desert.
To make a beeline for.
To go straight for something or someone.
To run after a bee stings you.
To run away from a bee.
To make a buzzing noise for a long time.
Elephant in the room.
An obvious problem that people avoid talking about.
Something too big for the space.
An ugly object.
A big person in the room.
To let the cat out of the bag.
To win a competition.
To gossip about something.
To reveal a secret without the intention of doing so.
To release an animal out of a cage.
Take the bull by the horns.
Go riding on a bull.
Get on with doing a difficult task.
Fight a bull.
Compete against someone.
Something smells fishy.
It's unusual.
It's suspicious.
To back the wrong horse is to...
support the wrong cause.
help someone who deserves it.
Something that makes someone angry is 'LIKE A RED RAG TO A ...'.
COW
BEAR
PIG
BULL
To rain like cats and dogs.
To rain lightly.
To rain heavily.
Every dog has its day.
Everyone can be rich.
Everyone has the chance to be the boss.
Everyone succeeds eventually.
Everyone can pass an exam.
To have really good vision or great attention is to have a(n) ' ... EYE'.
EAGLE
CAT'S
To sweat like a...
cow.
pig.
crocodile.
snake.
An important person in a small or limited place. 'A BIG ... IN A SMALL POND'.
DUCK
FISH
Fish out of water.
Someone who is on land.
Someone who can't swim very well.
Someone who can't breathe.
Someone who feels out of place in their surroundings.
To wait is to 'HOLD YOUR ...'.
HORSES
MONKEYS
DOGS
GOATS
Someone who appears harmless but is dangerous is a '... IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING'.
SNAKE
WOLF
TIGER
LION
Dog eat dog.
To try hard.
Live without caring.
You beat someone who is the same as you.
Highly competitive or ruthless.
To have poor vision or to miss something obvious is to be 'BLIND AS A ...'.
MOLE
SLOTH
WORM
BAT
Curiosity killed the cat.
Being too curious can lead to good things.
Being too curious can lead to trouble.
To be told directly by the person affected is to hear it 'STRAIGHT FROM THE ... MOUTH'.
DOG'S
HORSE'S
Cat got your tongue?
Why are you so quiet?
Why are you not eating anything?
Very quiet is to be 'AS QUIET AS A ...'.
SNAKE.
MOUSE.
The lion's share.
The most important.
The bravest.
The majority.
The boss's duty.
To be very busy is to be 'AS BUSY AS A ...'.
FLY
BEE
ANT
HORSE
A reliable source of income is...
a money monkey.
a coin cat.
a cash cow.
a dosh dog.
To cry wolf.
To howl like a wolf.
To cry a lot.
To raise a false alarm or over exaggerate a situation.
To shout loudly.
To move around a lot is 'TO HAVE ... IN YOUR PANTS'.
WASPS
ANTS
BEES
WORMS
Dog's life.
A life always shouting.
A miserable existence.
A life sleeping along.
A happy life.
To eat too much is to...
pig out.
dog out.
horse out.
cow out.
To tackle a problem head on is to...
go fishing.
take the bulls by the horns.
put the cat in a cage.
hold the dog's lead.
Kill two birds with one stone.
To achieve two goals with on action.
To go hunting.
To hate birds.
To throw stones at targets.
To be happy to do something for a long time is to do it until...
the cows come home.
the dogs wake up.
the horses stop running.
the cats stop fighting.
Barking up the wrong tree.
To apply for the wrong job.
To shout and scream about something.
To be angry at someone.
To pursue the wrong course of action.
Following the crowd is to have a '... MENTALITY'.
HERD
SHEEP
To be told by someone. 'A LITTLE ... TOLD ME'.
BIRDY
KITTY
To drink like a fish.
To consume a lot of alcohol.
To drink a lot of water.
When something is never going to happen we can say '... MIGHT FLY'.
PIGS
FISH
DOGS
COWS
To smell a rat is to...
smell something bad.
be suspicious.
To mean there is always more of something. 'PLENTY MORE ... IN THE SEA'.
FISH
WHALES
A wild goose chase.
Looking for something in a bird costume.
A search for something that cannot be found.
Looking for a goose.
Doing something just for fun.
People with similar interests stick together. '... OF A FEATHER FLOCK TOGETHER'.
BIRDS
PENGUINS
Someone who is different from the rest of the family is the black ... .
sheep.
bird.
Work like a dog.
To work slowly.
To work very hard.
To be lazy.
To only do half a job.
You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.
Someone who is miserable will always be miserable.
An old person can't learn anything.
You can't someone's way of thinking.
It's difficult to change someone's long-existing habits.