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Идиомы о животных

• fish or cut bait
  принять то или иное решение, одно из двух

  "I see that you are not actually eager to buy the house, so you either fish or cut bait."
• night owl
  сова (человек, привыкший ложиться спать поздно)

  I am a night owl and my husband is an early bird.
• fly in the ointment
  помеха, "ложка дёгтя в бочке мёда"

  The problem with the weather was a fly in the ointment during their enjoyable holiday.
• go to bed with the chickens
  рано ложиться спать

  When I stayed with my grandparents, I had to go to bed with the chickens.
• fish for (something)
  пытаться найти информацию о чём-либо, выуживать информацию

  Rick can sit for hours fishing for information from the Internet.
• turn tail
  поспешно уйти или броситься бежать

  The men in front of me turned tail like a dog that had been whistled home, and fled like the wind.
• swan song
  лебединая песня

  This film was a swan song of the great actress.
• by shank's mare
  пешком, "на своих двоих"

  My car got broken, so I had to come to work by shank's mare.
• run around like a chicken with its head cut off
  бегать как сумасшедший, метаться

  Joe spent the day running around like a chicken with its head cut off when he discovered that he had lost important documents.
• on horseback
  верхом на лошади

  I saw Pam ride on horseback yesterday.
• as soft as down
  мягкий как пух

  The little girl's fair hair was as soft as down.
• cock of the walk
  важная персона, хозяин положения (употребляется иронично)

  John thinks that he is cock of the walk and that everyone must do what he wants.
• go hog-wild
  вести себя бесконтрольно, безудержно

  The football fans went hog-wild when their favorite team won the game.
• spread one's wings
  стать независимым, расправить крылья

  Sam decided to become independent; he wants to spread his wings and try to do something on his own.
• more fun than a barrel of monkeys
  очень смешной, забавный

  Jonny was more fun than a barrel of monkeys, and everybody loved to hear his jokes.
• live in a fish bowl
  жить в тесноте, бок о бок с другими людьми

  Everybody knew about his life and personal affairs in that small place; it was like living in a fish bowl.
• kill the fatted calf
  встретить радушно; угостить лучшим, что есть дома

  Aunt Mary was coming to visit us, so we decided to kill the fatted calf and have a big dinner in her honor.
• knee-high to a grasshopper
  малюсенький, крошечный (как ребёнок)

  Joe learned to play chess when he was knee-high to a grasshopper.
• road hog
  водитель, мешающий проезду другого транспорта

  Leo is a regular road-hog; he always uses more than his share of the road.
• chicken out of (doing something)
  струсить, не сделать что-либо из-за страха

  Sarah chickened out of skiing in the mountains.
• clip (someone's) wings
  ограничивать или сдерживать кого-либо, "подрезать крылья"

  The company decided to clip the manager's wings and took away his expense account.
• piggyback
  переносить кого-либо на плечах или на спине

  "Dad, I want you to give me a piggyback ride."
• bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
  Одна птица в руках стоит двух в кустах. (пословица)

  "I think you shouldn't spend your money so recklessly until you are able to earn more. Remember that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."
• go on a fishing expedition
  пытаться обнаружить информацию

  While investigating the murder case the detective had to go on a fishing expedition to try and find as much information as possible.
• play possum
  притвориться больным или мёртвым; прикинуться не понимающим

  "Don't you try to play possum; you know what I am talking about."
• as calm as a toad in the sun
  очень спокойный и довольный (как жаба на солнце)

  Jeremy looked as calm as a toad in the sun during the baseball game.
• lock the barn door after the horse is gone
  пытаться исправить положение

  Tina failed the examination and said she would study hard after that. She wanted to lock the barn door after the horse was gone.
• bat out of hell
  очень быстро, мгновенно

  "What happened? Why did the man left the room like a bat out of hell?"
• bats in the belfry
  сумасшедший, эксцентричный

  I guess my friend has bats in the belfry; his plans are absolutely crazy.
• rare bird
  необычный, неординарный (человек)

  I think Bob is a rare bird; his ideas are always unusual.
• champ/chomp at the bit
  быть в нетерпении (что-либо делать)

  The children were chomping at the bit to go to the Field Museum.
• one's bark is worse than one's bite
  чьи-либо слова страшнее, чем его дела

  Ma Brooks is always scolding her children, but they know her bark is worse than her bite, and they are not afraid of her.
• piggy bank
  копилка (в виде свиньи)

  The mother gave Rita a piggy bank to put small coins into.
• squirrel (something) away
  сделать запас (заначку) чего-либо

  I sometimes have to squirrel some extra money away so that I can use it later.
• look like the cat that swallowed the canary
  выглядеть очень довольным

  Jeremy looked like the cat that swallowed the canary when he told me about his success.