Animal idioms enrich our language and add vivid imagery to what we say. Most of the time we don’t even stop to think about what we are saying. Some idioms we say, like a frog in your throat, create a hilarious picture if you think about them.
A dark horse – This idiom comes from racing. It describes a horse that is unknown to bettors, but it ends up winning the race. Now it refers to a person or candidate who is not well-known but unexpectedly succeeds or performs well, especially in a competition or election.
A dog and pony show – The phrase can be traced back to the American entertainment and advertising industries of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It refers to an opulent or extravagant presentation that features elaborate displays intended to draw people’s attention to them. The presentation was all show and no substance, but it was designed to impress.
A dog’s breakfast – This idiom is often used to describe a situation where the outcome is chaotic or messy. It usually refers to something that is poorly done, a complete mess, or disorganized. Hmm. I had never heard this idiom before, but I do feed my dogs breakfast, and they rather enjoy their scrambled eggs, which are neither chaotic or messy.
A dog’s life – This idiom means the exact opposite of what I think it should mean. My dogs have life really good. They get two meals a day plus snacks. They live in an air-conditioned house and get to out in a fenced-in backyard and play whenever they want. And at night when they sleep, they can sleep in bed with me if they so desire. And they are loved. So I think a dog’s life the way my dogs have it would be pretty good.
But a dog’s life means just the opposite. It means a life that is difficult, unpleasant, or boring.
A fat cat – A fat cat does not refer to a cat that is fat. This idiom is talking about a rich and powerful person, especially one who became rich and powerful through not-so-honest means. Often they are not thought of as being very honest and upstanding.
A frog in your throat – If you declare that have a frog in your throat, you are saying that you are having difficulty speaking due to a dry throat or hoarseness, which is often caused by mucus or irritation. Sometimes though, a person can be speaking as clear as day when all of a sudden he gets a frog in his throat that takes him and everyone around completely by surprise.
A little bird told me – A little bird told me doesn’t appear in the Bible, but it it most likely the root source from which it came. Ecclesiastes 10:20 in the KJV says, “Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.”
When you say that a little bird told you, you are saying that you were told by a private or secret source.
A fish out of water – A fish lives in water. It needs water to breathe and live. If you say that you feel like a fish out of water, you are in a very uncomfortable situation, one that you would rather not be in. It is a situation where you feel very out of place and are possibly around people that you aren’t comfortable being around.
Writing Prompt: Take one or more of the above idioms and write a story (yes, an entire story) around it. Dr. Seuss’s wife has done it with A Fish Out of Water. Yes, that is an easy-to-read book for children, but idioms are also used in books written for those who are older. Agatha Christie like to use idioms in her works. You can do the same.
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