Animal Idioms

Match the idioms with the definitions and then try to fill in the sentences with the right expressions

1- Don't count your chickens

before they hatch.

a- Someone who is too accustomed to

old habits won't want to change.

2- Like a fish out of water. b- False tears to give impression of

sadness

3- You can't teach an old dog

new tricks c- Someone in a bad mood

4- Dog tired d- Have an exciting, interesting time.

Enjoy oneself enormously

5- Bear with a sore paw e- Tell a person in authority about the

bad behaviour of another person

6- Have a whale of a time f- Period of time without something

you are addicted to

7- Crocodile tears g- Don't presume anything until it is

certain

8- A bee in your bonnet h- Husband who is nagged at

by his wife

9- A fly in the ointment i- Someone in a strange situation

they are not used to

10- Cold turkey j- Extremely tired.

11- To rat on somebody k- One big problem in an otherwise

faultless plan

12- Hen pecked l- Be angry, resentful about

a certain issue

1. I don't want him crying ____________ for me. I know he couldn't care less about

me failing that exam.

2. I have been working on my thesis for 3 days without sleeping. I feel ____________.

3. Some people say the best way to beat a drug addiction is to have a week of

____________.

4. When we went to Disneyland, we had ____________. We went on all the rides, met

Mickey Mouse and bought loads of souvenirs too.

5. Stay away from Don today. He's like ____________. I don't know what could've

happened.

6. Our new secretary is ____________. She worked in a supermarket for ten years

before and I say ____________.

7. Don't mention you went to Harvard to Jim. He has got a real ____________ about

that place!

8. You have only been for one job interview and you are already planning how to spend

your first salary!! You shouldn't ____________.

9. Everything is planned for the vacation. The visas arrived yesterday and we have

booked a great hotel by the beach. The only ____________ is that there is a hurricane

on its way to the island!

10. I didn't think anyone had seen me copy the test but William ____________ to

Professor Sykes and I got expelled.

11. That poor Mr. Dyson looks totally ____________ by that dragon of a wife he has.

She never stops complaining about every little thing he does.

KEY

The definitions and idioms have been lined up in the table...and the answers filled in for each sentence.

3- You can't teach an old

dog new tricks

a- Someone who is too accustomed

to old habits won't want to change.

7- Crocodile tears b- False tears to give impression

of sadness

5- Bear with a sore paw c- Someone in a bad mood

6- Have a whale of a time d- Have an exciting, interesting time.

Enjoy oneself enormously

11-To rat on somebody e- Tell a person in authority about

the bad behaviour of another person

10- Cold turkey f- Period of time without something

you are addicted to

1- Don't count your chickens

before they hatch.

g- Don't presume anything until

it is certain

12- Hen pecked h- Husband who is nagged at by his wife

2- Like a fish out of water i- Someone in a strange situation

they are not used to

4- Dog tired j- Extremely tired.

9- A fly in the ointment k- One big problem in an otherwise

faultless plan

8- A bee in your bonnet l- Be angry, resentful

about a certain issue

1. I don't want him crying __CROCODILE TEARS__ for me. I know he couldn't care less

about me failing that exam.

2. I have been working on my thesis for 3 days without sleeping. I feel __DOG

TIRED__.

3. Some people say the best way to beat a drug addiction is to have a week of __COLD

TURKEY__.

4. When we went to Disneyland, we had __A WHALE OF A TIME__. We went on all the

rides, met Mickey Mouse and bought loads of souvenirs too.

5. Stay away from Don today. He's like __A BEAR WITH A SORE PAW__. I don't know

what could've happened.

6. Our new secretary is __A FISH OUT OF WATER__. She worked in a supermarket for

ten years before and I say __YOU CAN'T TEACH OLD DOGS NEW TRICKS__.

7. Don't mention you went to Harvard to Jim. He has got a real __BEE IN HIS

BONNET__ about that place!

8. You have only been for one job interview and you are already planning how to spend

your first salary!! You shouldn't __COUNT YOUR CHICKENS BEFORE THEY HATCH__.

9. Everything is planned for the vacation. The visas arrived yesterday and we have

booked a great hotel by the beach. The only __FLY IN THE OINTMENT__ is that there is

a hurricane on its way to the island!

10. I didn't think anyone had seen me copy the test but William __RATTED ON ME__ to

Professor Sykes and I got expelled.

11. That poor Mr. Dyson looks totally __HEN PECKED__ by that dragon of a wife he

has. She never stops complaining about every little thing he does.