We keep animals as pets, we need their help to do a million things…ride, hunt, plough….and then we use them to add a little excitement to our language, by weaving their characteristics and traits into idioms which have a lot of history behind them….So here’s for some wordplay, animal style!!!!!!
Answers (with the origin of these idioms)
Eager beaver
Origin: For many centuries man has admired the beaver for its hardworking nature. The beaver swims in rivers and builds dams made of tiny wooden sticks across them. Come rain or shine, the beaver is always hard at his work.
Meaning: hardworking, industrious
Usage:
• Johnny always finishes his schoolwork before going out to play. In this aspect Johnny is a eager beaver.
• New assistants are always eager beavers
Go to the dogs
Origin: In the medieval times, food that was spoilt or considered unfit for man was given to the dogs. Soon man started ascribing this state to his fellow beings,to indicate that a person’s state had become very bad, like that of a dog.
Meaning: To be ruined, to fall from a great position
Usage:
• Our rich neighbour’s fortune went to the dogs when his son spent all his money.
• They sat in the bar a night before the elections moaning that the country was going to the dogs.
Raining cats and dogs
Origin: In the 17th century in England, there were heavy rainstorms and sometimes cats and dogs would drown and would be found lying dead on the roads after the rains. It almost looked like it had been raining cats and dogs
Meaning: to rain very heavily
Usage:
• John cannot go out and play today because it is raining cats and dogs.
• It was raining cats and dogs by the time I got home.
Straight from the horse’s mouth
Origin: The best way to find a horse’s age is to look at the horse’s teeth and mouth.So ,rather than asking the seller of the horse about the beast’s condition ,health, age etc all you need to do is to look straight into the horse’s mouth.
Meaning: get some news directly from the person concerned
Usage: I got a tip yesterday, and if it wasn't straight from the horse's mouth it was jolly well the next thing to it.
Wolf in sheep’s clothing
Origin: In a story by Aesop#, the famous Greek storyteller, a hungry wolf killed a sheep and wore its skin to get into a flock of sheep and kill some more. The sheep all thought that the wolf was also one of them. The dangerous wolf hid under the sheep’s skin and managed to fool the flock.
Meaning: Someone who looks harmless but may actually be very dangerous.
Usage: Never trust strangers on the street for they may be wolves in the sheep’s clothing!
Note: Aesop was a slave and a story teller who lived in ancient Greece. He most known for his fables like the hare and the tortoise etc
