Animal Idioms

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Date:

Instructions: How well do you know idioms that feature animals?

1.
What does the idiom 'let the cat out of the bag' mean?
A
To pack for a trip
B
To reveal a secret
C
To release a pet
D
To start a fight
2.
If someone is described as 'the black sheep' of the family, what does that mean?
A
They are considered the odd one out or disgrace
B
They wear dark clothing
C
They are the most successful
D
They are the youngest child
3.
What does it mean to 'have a bee in your bonnet'?
A
To be stung by an insect
B
To feel confused
C
To be obsessed with an idea
D
To wear a fancy hat
4.
What does the expression 'when pigs fly' mean?
A
When someone is dreaming
B
Something that will never happen
C
When the weather changes
D
When animals escape a farm
5.
What does it mean to 'cry wolf'?
A
To howl loudly
B
To be afraid of animals
C
To raise a false alarm repeatedly
D
To call for help sincerely
6.
What does the idiom 'hold your horses' mean?
A
To prepare for a race
B
To take care of livestock
C
To be patient and wait
D
To go faster
7.
If someone says they are 'playing possum,' what are they doing?
A
Pretending to be dead or asleep
B
Acting silly
C
Playing a card game
D
Hunting in the woods
8.
What does 'a little bird told me' mean?
A
I read it in a nature magazine
B
I heard it from a secret or unnamed source
C
A bird literally communicated something
D
Someone whispered quietly
9.
What does the phrase 'the elephant in the room' refer to?
A
A large piece of furniture
B
An obvious problem everyone is ignoring
C
A powerful person in charge
D
A surprising guest at a party
10.
What does 'barking up the wrong tree' mean?
A
Choosing the wrong type of wood
B
Making a loud noise outdoors
C
Climbing incorrectly
D
Pursuing a mistaken course of action
11.
What does the idiom 'to have an albatross around your neck' mean?
A
To be an excellent swimmer
B
To carry a heavy burden of guilt or obligation
C
To have good luck at sea
D
To wear expensive jewelry
12.
What does 'to bell the cat' mean?
A
To play a musical instrument
B
To decorate a pet
C
To undertake a dangerous task for the common good
D
To catch a stray animal
13.
What does the expression 'a red herring' mean?
A
A warning sign of danger
B
A rare type of fish
C
An embarrassing mistake
D
Something that misleads or distracts from the real issue
14.
What does the idiom 'to take the bull by the horns' mean?
A
To run away from danger
B
To make a foolish decision
C
To visit a ranch
D
To face a difficult situation directly and boldly
15.
What does the phrase 'crocodile tears' refer to?
A
Genuine tears of sadness
B
Tears from laughing too hard
C
Insincere or fake displays of grief
D
Tears caused by spicy food

Answer Key

Question 1

B. To reveal a secret

'Let the cat out of the bag' means to accidentally reveal a secret or surprise. The phrase may originate from medieval market fraud where a cat was substituted for a piglet in a bag.

Question 2

A. They are considered the odd one out or disgrace

The 'black sheep' of the family is the member who is regarded as a disgrace or who doesn't fit in. Black wool was less valuable because it couldn't be dyed, making black sheep undesirable to shepherds.

Question 3

C. To be obsessed with an idea

To 'have a bee in your bonnet' means to be preoccupied or obsessed with a particular idea or topic. The image of a bee buzzing inside a hat conveys the persistent, nagging quality of the obsession.

Question 4

B. Something that will never happen

'When pigs fly' is used to say that something is extremely unlikely or impossible. Since pigs cannot fly, the expression emphasizes that the event in question will never occur.

Question 5

C. To raise a false alarm repeatedly

To 'cry wolf' means to raise a false alarm so often that when real danger comes, no one believes you. It comes from Aesop's fable about a shepherd boy who repeatedly lied about a wolf attacking his flock.

Question 6

C. To be patient and wait

'Hold your horses' means to slow down, be patient, or wait a moment before acting. It originates from the literal act of restraining horses to prevent them from moving forward too quickly.

Question 7

A. Pretending to be dead or asleep

'Playing possum' means pretending to be dead, asleep, or unaware of a situation. It comes from the opossum's defense mechanism of feigning death when threatened by a predator.

Question 8

B. I heard it from a secret or unnamed source

'A little bird told me' means you learned something from a source you don't want to reveal. The expression dates back centuries and may have biblical origins from Ecclesiastes 10:20.

Question 9

B. An obvious problem everyone is ignoring

'The elephant in the room' refers to an obvious problem or controversial issue that everyone is aware of but no one wants to discuss. The metaphor highlights how something so large cannot truly be ignored.

Question 10

D. Pursuing a mistaken course of action

'Barking up the wrong tree' means to make a false assumption or pursue a mistaken line of thinking. It comes from hunting dogs that would bark at the base of a tree where they mistakenly believed their quarry had fled.

Question 11

B. To carry a heavy burden of guilt or obligation

Having 'an albatross around your neck' means carrying a heavy burden of guilt or a persistent problem. It comes from Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,' where a sailor is forced to wear a dead albatross as punishment.

Question 12

C. To undertake a dangerous task for the common good

'To bell the cat' means to take on a dangerous or risky task that will benefit others. It comes from Aesop's fable where mice proposed hanging a bell around a cat's neck to hear it coming, but none volunteered to do it.

Question 13

D. Something that misleads or distracts from the real issue

A 'red herring' is something that misleads or distracts from the relevant issue. The term may come from the practice of using smoked herring (which turns red) to throw hunting dogs off a scent trail.

Question 14

D. To face a difficult situation directly and boldly

'To take the bull by the horns' means to confront a difficult or dangerous situation head-on with courage and determination. The imagery comes from the bold act of grabbing a bull directly by its horns to control it.

Question 15

C. Insincere or fake displays of grief

'Crocodile tears' refers to a false or insincere display of emotion, especially grief. The expression comes from the ancient belief that crocodiles shed tears while eating their prey, appearing to weep over their victims.

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