有关动物的习语200个.doc

Animal Idioms
ass
make an ass of oneself/somebody 干蠢事，出洋相，
I made an ass of myself at the party.
bark
bark up the wrong tree 弄错，
She was barking up the wrong tree.
bat
be/have bats in the belfry 精神失常，
She is bats in the belfry.
blind as a bat 眼力不行，
You must be as blind as a bat.
like a bat out of hell 如飞地，
The motorbike came round the corner like a bat out of hell.
bee
bee in one’s bonnet 想得入了迷，
He has a bee in his bonnet about women wearing trousers in the office.
bee-line 两地之间最短距离，
He made a bee-line for the bar.
bee’s knees 专家，最好的人，
She’s the bee’s knees.
busy as a bee 忙忙录录，
I’ve been as busy as a bee all day.
bug
bitten by a bug 热衷于某事，
He got bitten by the bug and took up the hobby himself.
bugged room 装有窃听器的房间，
This room has been bugged by the CIA.
bug somebody 故意烦扰，
It really bugs me the way he keep drumming his fingers on the table.
litter bug 乱丢废物的人，
The worst kind of litter bug is the person who throws sweet papers out of the window of a moving car.
calf
calf/puppy love （少男少女）暂短爱情，
It was only calf-love.
kill the fatted calf 热烈款待，
We’re going to kill the fatted calf for Alfred’s coming.

camel
the last straw that breaks the camel’s back 不能使人忍受的最后一击，
The final demand for payment of the gas bill was the last straw that broke the camel’s back.*
cat
a cat may look at a king 猫也有权看国王，
He should remember that a cat may look at a king!
be a copycat （无创造的）模仿者，
Don’t be a copycat.
bell the cat (为公众)承担危险的事，
I decided to bell the cat .
cat and mouse game 猫戏老鼠似的，
The employer played a cat and mouse game.
cat get one’s tongue 为什么不吭声，
Come on, speak up—or has the cat got your tongue?
cat’s pyjamas /whiskers 绝妙的东西，
My new car is just the cat’s whiskers.
cat that swallowed the cream 自鸣得意的人，
She ‘s been like the cat that swallowed the cream.
curiosity killed the cat 好奇招来麻烦，
Please stop prying into my private life. Remember, curiosity killed the cat.
enough to make a cat laugh 极滑稽，
When he slipped on a banana skin it was enough to make a cat laugh
fight like cat and dog 不停地吵，
My two daughters fight like cat and dog.
grin like a Cheshire cat 咧着嘴笑，
He grinned like a Cheshire cat and welcomed us in.
lead a cat and dog life 争吵不休的生活，
Mark and Linda lead a cat and dog life.
let the cat out of the bag （无意中）泄露秘密，
He let the cat out of the bag.
like a cat on hot bricks 坐立不安，
You’re like a cat on hot bricks.
like something the cat brought in 衣冠不整，
We looked like something the cat brought in.
make a cat’s paw of 被愚弄的人，
I refused to be made a cat’s paw of.
no/not enough room to swing a cat 地方狭窄，
Our new kitchen is tiny, with not enough room to swing a cat.
not a cat in hell’s chance 毫无机会，
He haven’t a cat in hell’s chance of winning this game.
put the cat among the pigeons 挑起纠纷，
He want to put the cat among the pigeons.
run around like a scalded cat 无事忙，
She is always running round like a scalded cat.
when the cat’s away(mice will play) 猫不在，鼠自在，
Colin has been to the pub every night since his wife’ been in hospital; still when the cat’s away!
which way the cat jump 观望形势，
I must wait and see which way the cat jumps.
chicken
chicken feed 小额钱币，
They’re only paying chicken feed for a very demanding job.
chicken hearted/livered 怯懦的，
Don’t be chicken hearted, have a go!
chicken out 畏缩不前， He chickened out at last.
don’t count one’s chickens (before they hatched) 不要蛋未孵先数鸡，
Don’t count your chickens and buy that new outfit.
no (spring) chicken （尤指女子）年龄不小了，
She’s no chicken and shouldn’t be riding on the back of a motorbike.
tender as a chicken 不坚强的，
He’s as tender as a chicken and not up to hard manual work.
cow
milch cow 财源，
Too much people regard the Social Security as a milch cow.
scared cow 神圣不可侵犯的人、事，
The Public School system is often seen to be the scared cow of the upper classes.
till the cows come home 永远，
You can wait till the cows come home.
crocodile
crocodile tear 鳄鱼的眼泪，
I don’t know Nancy can shed crocodile tears about Philip’s accident.
crow
as the crow flies 沿直线，
We’re only five miles from the coast as the crow flies.
crow about/over 夸口，
I’m tired of hearing her crow about winning the cup.
crow’ feet 眼角皱纹，
She’s developed a double chin and crow’ feet.
cuckoo
cuckoo in the nest 破坏他人幸福的人，
He’d turned out to be a cuckoo in the nest and steal John’s wife’s affections.
dog
call off the dogs 停止追踪，
The police have decided to call off their dogs in their hunt for the missing diamonds.
die like a dog 悲惨地死去，
They died like dogs in the trenches.
dirty dog 行为卑鄙龌龊的人，
He isn’t s dirty dog.
dog days 大热天，
The summer are getting dog days always.
dog eat dog 黑吃黑，
You need a strong character to survive the dog eat dog of big business.
dog fight 混战，
It is a big advantage in a dog fight.
(in the) dog house 挨骂，丢脸，
I’ll be in the dog house when I get home late.
dog in the manager 占马槽之狗，
There’s no need to be dog in the manager and prevent from me to going.
dog’s body 勤杂工，
He wanted a general dog’s body to help out on the site.
dog’s breakfast/dinner 一团糟，
You’ve made a right dog’s dinner of painting that door.
dog’s chance 极微小的机会，
It hasn’t a dog’s chance of winning.
dog tired 极度疲乏，
I’m dog tired.
don’t keep a dog and bark yourself 不要用了人还亲自操劳，
Don’t keep a dog and bark yourself—your secretary should do all that filing.
every dog has its day 凡人皆有得意日，
It just goes to show that every dog has its day.
gay dog 寻欢作乐的人，
Graham is a bit of a gay dog with the women.
give a dog a bad name 加人恶名，
No wonder they say give a dog a bad name.
go to the dog 垮台，
Our local pub has gone to the dogs.
hair of the dog (that bit you) 解宿醉的烈酒，
He go over to the pub and have a hair of the dog.
lead a dog’s life 过不安宁日子，
His wife lead him a dog’s life with her incessant nagging.
let sleeping dogs lie 不招惹麻烦，
I decided to let sleeping dogs lie and changed the subject.
let the dog see the rabbit 给参加者机会，
It’s Tony’s go. Let the dog see the rabbit.
lie doggo 隐藏，
The escaped prisoners lay doggo in a haystack.
like a dog with two tails 欣喜若狂，
The old lady was like a dog with two tails when her son came from America.
lucky dog 幸运儿，
Tom is a lucky dog.
shaggy dog story 杂乱、故做滑稽的故事，
He tolled a shaggy dog story about an actress.
sly dog 狡猾的家伙，
The sly dog never mentioned that he was dating a barmaid!
tail wagging the dog 主次颠倒，
It’s typical case of the tail wagging the dog.
throw somebody to the dogs 丢掉，
He want to throw them to the dogs.
top dog 优胜者，
He’s the top dog among formula one motor racing drivers.
treat somebody worse than a dog 待某人如狗，
Captain Bligh treated the crew like dogs.
underdog 处于劣势的一方，
He knew he was the underdog.
work like a dog 苦干（很少报酬）
I work like a dog all week.
you can’t teach a old new tricks 你不能使年老守旧的人接受新事物，
It’s seems you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.
dove
dove of peace 和平的象征，
At last there is a chance that the hawks of war will be replaced by doves of peace.
eagle
eagle eye 目光锐利，
He will be keeping an eagle eye on the party.
eel
slippery as an eel 琢磨不定的，
This fellow is as slippery as an eel.
egg
don’t put all one’s eggs in one basket 不把蛋放在一个篮子里，
That way you don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
egg-head 学问家， he is an egg head.
egg somebody on 鼓励（某人做某事）
The crowd egged him on to the finishing line.
good egg 好人,
Charles is a good egg.
have egg on one’s face 丢脸，
I do have egg on my face.
kill the goose that lays the golden egg 杀鸡取卵，
We mustn’t kill the goose that lays the golden egg.
sure as eggs is eggs 必定，
You can be as sure as eggs is eggs that it will nit rain within the hour.
tread on egg 如履薄冰，
The reporter treaded on eggs when he asked the terrorist leader.
elephant
memory like an elephant 极好的记忆力，
She must have a memory like an elephant.
pink elephant （吸毒、醉酒后的）幻觉，
I am seeing pink elephant after drinking.
rouge elephant 离群的凶猛野象，
He regards him as rouge elephant.
see the elephant 见世面，
white elephant 沉重的包袱，累赘的珍品，
The government spent rate payer’s money on a white elephant.
feather
be spitting feathers 非常愤怒，口渴，
Len was spitting feathers when he saw some vandal had done ton his new car .feather-bed His mother has feather-bedded him.
feather-brained 溺爱，
They had some feather-brained scheme.
feather-friend 鸟，
We mustn’t forget to put out food for our feathered friends in frosty weather.
feather in one’s cap 某人的卓越成就，荣誉标志，
He was the final feather in his cap after years of dedicated service to the community.
feather one’s nest 营私，肥己，
The Chairman is taking money out of the company to feather his own nest.
in fine feather 情绪极好，身体健康，
You’re in fine feather this morning.
make the feather fly 引起骚动，争斗，
That will make the feather fly!
show the white feather 显示懦弱，
The challenger showed the white feather.
smooth somebody (ruffled) feathers 冷静下来，
I smoothed her ruffled feathers.
you could have knocked me down with a feather 使我十分震惊，
You could have knocked me down with a feather when I knew this.
fish
big fish 大人物，
The boss shows some big fish around the factory.
big fish in a small pond 井底之蛙，小地方的要人，
He’s only a big fish in a small pond.
cold fish 冷冰冰的人，
Sue is a cold fish.
feed the fishes 葬身鱼腹，
If you fall overboard, you’ll end up feeding the fishes.
fish for compliments 寻找别人恭维，
The new girl is always fishing for compliments when she talks to the men.
fish in troubled waters 混水摸鱼，
He fishes in the troubled waters of marital strife.
fish out 捞出，把鱼捕尽，
She fished out a purse from her pocket.
have other fish to fry 另有它图，
I’ve got plenty of other fish to fry.
like a fish out of water 如鱼离水，
I feel like a fish out of water.
neither fish nor fowl 不伦不类，
This fellow is neither fish nor fowl.
(fine/pretty) kettle fish 一团糟，
You are going to be prosecuted for careless driving, that’s a fine kettle of fish.
queer fish 怪人，
John’s a queer fish, he nearly always wears odd socks.
small fish 小人物，
I’m only a small fish.
smell something fishy 可疑，
He said he was ill, but I smell something fishy.
there are plenty more fish in the sea 有水何患无鱼，碰到的人多得很，
My boyfriend and I have split up but I don’t care—there’s plenty more fish in the sea.
fowl
dress a fowl 把家禽去毛开膛，
Very few women today know how to dress a fowl.
fox
be foxed 使迷惑，
The crossword puzzle usually foxed me.
cunning as a fox 非常狡猾，
He’s as cunning as a fox and will try to take advantage of you.
old/sly fox 老奸巨滑，
You old fox, you talked her into selling the car for much less than it’s worth.
frog
frog in the throat 轻咽喉炎，
I’ve got frog in my throat this morning.
frog march 蛙式押送，
The landlord frog marched him out the door.
goat
act/play the goat 干蠢事，
Glen is always acting the goat.
get somebody’s goat 使某人恼怒，
His way gets my goat.
sort out/separate the sheep from the goat 区分合格与不合格者，
That should sort out the sheep from the goat.
goose
goose flesh/pimple 鸡皮疙瘩，
Merely the thought of holding a snake makes me come out in goose flesh.
kill the goose that lays the golden egg 杀鸡取卵，
We don’t want to kill the goose that lays the golden egg.
say “boo” to a goose 吓唬某人，
The boss wouldn’t say “boo” to a goose.
what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. 对别人怎样，对自己也怎样，
He is a man what’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.
hare
hare-brained 愚蠢的，轻率的，
Whose hare-brained idea was it to padlock the fire exits?
mad as a March hare 非常疯狂，
He must be as mad as a March hare.
run with the hare and hunt with the hounds 两面讨好，
You can’t run with the hare and hunt with the hounds.
hen
hen-party 女人聚会，
She has invited all her girlfriends to a hen-party on Friday night.
hen-pecked 惧内的，
He’s hen-pecked from morning to night.
like a hen with one (only) chicken 大惊小怪的，
She’s like a hen with only one chicken.
mother hen （忙乱、小题大做的）女人，
She fusses over them like a mother hen.
horse
horse talk horse 吹牛，
flog a dead horse 白费力
ivory
ivory tower 象牙塔，
Academics in their ivory towers have no idea what it is like to earn one’s living.
kid
kid’s stuff 容易，
This crossword puzzle is kid’s stuff for him.
with kid gloves 非常柔顺的，
You have to learn to handle her with kid glove,
you’re kidding! 我不相信你！
lamb
go like a lamb (to the slaughter) 逆来顺受地干某事，
There goes Jones to the headmaster’s study like a lamb to the slaughter.
one might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb 明知要受处罚，索性干完坏事，彻底享受一番，
I ‘ll have another drink, I might be hung for a sheep as a lamb.
mutton dressed up as lamb 作年轻妇女打扮的老年妇女，
In a better light I realized she was mutton dressed up as lamb.
leopard
a leopard never changes its spots. 本性难易，
lion
as brave as a lion 非常勇敢，
My young daughter is as brave as a lion and will tackle any of the boys.
beard the lion in his den 面对上司，权势，
I must beard the lion in his den and go and ask the boss for a day off next week.
lion-hunter 巴结权势，名人，
He is a typical lion-hunter.
lion’s share 其大作用，最大份额，
I found myself doing the lion’s share of the work.
put one’s head in the lion’s mouth 处于危险境地，
I’ll have to put my head in the lion’s mouth.
throw somebody to the lions （为保全自己）而使他人处于危险境地，
He warned me that if I make a mistake she’ll throw me to the lions.
twist the lion’s tail 触犯英国，
France seems to use many EEC meetings merely to twist the lion’s tail.
locust
swarm like locusts 贪婪地围着，
The children swarmed round like locusts.
mouse
the best laid schemes of mice and men 每人都有失算之时/智者千虑，必有一失。
poor as a church mouse 清贫，
My parents were as poor as church mouse.
quiet as a mouse 非常宁静，
Tina is as quiet as a mouse, you hardly know she’s there.
mule
stubborn as a mule 非常顽固，
She’s as stubborn as a mule.
nest
foul one’s (own) nest 家丑外扬，
All he’s doing is fouling his own nest.
peacock
proud as a peacock 非常自豪，
Dad’s as a proud as a peacock of that shelf he put up.
pig
buy a pig in a poke 盲目购买，
You are buying a a pig in a poke.
live like a pig in clover 生活奢侈，舒适，
He has lived like a pig in clover ever since.
make a pig of oneself 狼吞虎咽地吃喝，
I couldn’t help marking a pig of myself.
make a pig’s ear of something 把某事办得很糟，
You’ve made a right pig’s ear of it.
pig(gy)-in the-middle （无意中）夹在敌对双方之间的人，
I find myself pig-in-the-middle.
pigs might fly 不可能发生的事，
He said he would pay me back the money he owns me next Monday—and pigs might fly!
pigeon
stool pigeon 密探，
The police couldn’t possibly have known I was there unless they were told by a stool pigeon.
not one’s pigeon 与某人不相干的事，
Don’t ask me to fill in the forms, That’s not my pigeon.
rabbit
breed like rabbits 大量繁衍，
Her family breed like rabbits!
pull/produce a rabbit out of the hat 意外发现难题解法，
rat
as wet as/like a drowned rat 浑身湿透，
The shower made me as wet as a drowned rat.
rat on some body 告发某人，
Tim