| Idiom |
Meaning |
Example Sentence |
| ants in one's pants |
unable to sit still or remain calm out of nervousness or excitement |
Lisa had ants in her pants the day before her interview. |
| (the) birds and the bees |
sex education |
I learned about the birds and the bees when my baby brother was born. |
| cat nap |
a short sleep |
I'm going to have a cat nap while you're cooking dinner. |
| cat's got one's tongue |
said about someone who doesn't speak (usually due to shyness) |
It looks like the cat's got your tongue, Lucy. Are you always this quiet? |
| chicken out |
to decide not to do something out of fear (usually just before) |
I was going to take a ride on Geoff's motorcyle, but I chickened out when he gave me a helmet to wear. |
| clam up |
become quiet suddenly |
Arthur clammed up when I asked him about his family. |
| copy cat |
a person who does the same thing as someone else |
My sister is such a copy cat. First she bought the same car as me, and now she's applying to my school. |
| dog days |
very hot days |
I sleep in the basement during the dog days of August. |
| dropping like flies |
dying/giving up quickly |
My roses are dropping like flies in this early frost. |
| eager beaver |
a person who is excited about doing certain work |
Ever since he got his new drill set my husband has been an eager beaver around the house. |
| fishy |
odd, suspicious |
I knew something fishy was going on when I saw all of my friends' cars in my mom's driveway. |
| have a cow |
get extremely upset (often over something minor) |
My teacher had a cow when she realized nobody had done the homework. |
| hold your horses |
wait and be patient |
Hold your horses! I'll be done in the washroom in a minute. |
| holy cow! |
Wow, I'm surprised! |
Holy cow! I can't believe you ate everything on your plate. |
| horse around |
play roughly |
If you're going to horse around, please go outside. |
| get the lion's share |
get the greatest percentage |
My aunt got the lion's share of the inheritance. |
| in the dog house |
in trouble with another person |
I don't think Marsha is coming out tonight. She's still in the dog house for forgetting Aaron's birthday. |
| kill two birds with one stone |
get two things done at once |
If you pick the groceries up when you drop George off for his shift, you will kill two birds with one stone. |
| kitty corner |
diagonal direction |
The gas station is kitty corner to the library. |
| let the cat out of the bag |
reveal a secret |
Who let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party? |
| (a) little bird told me |
I heard something (usually secretive or unknown) from someone (not named) |
A little bird told me that you are thinking of quitting your job. |
| make a beeline |
go straight for something |
My grandma made a beeline for the smoking room as soon as she got off the airplane. |
| monkey see, monkey do |
silly/unintelligent people tend to copy each other's actions |
Our one-year-old is saying bad words now. I told my husband, "Monkey see, monkey do!" |
| nest egg |
money saved for the future |
We have a nest egg that we might have to use if Jim goes on sick leave. |
| pig out |
eat a lot of something |
I pigged out on pancakes so I don't have room for lunch. |
| raining cats and dogs |
raining heavily |
I forgot my umbrella, and it was raining cats and dogs. |
| rat race |
fierce, competitive struggle for power, position etc |
I'm ready to leave this rat race and retire in Mexico. |
| smell a rat |
begin to suspect trickery etc |
I asked my brothers not to tell my parents that I went out, but I could smell a rat as soon as I opened the door. |
| straight from the horse's mouth |
directly from the original source |
I know Jenny is pregnant, because I heard it straight from the horse's mouth. |
| take the bull by the horns |
face a challenge or danger boldly |
If you really think you deserve a promotion, you'll have to take the bull by the horns. |
| until the cows come home |
for a very long time |
I could eat pizza and ice-cream until the cows come home |
