The girl was an ugly duckling when she was a child but now she is very beautiful.
Goose Idioms
as silly as a goose
- very foolish, very silly
My aunt acted as silly as a goose last evening.
cook (someone`s) goose
- to damage someone's plans, to damage or ruin someone
The woman cooked her goose when she fought against her company and lost.
a gone goose
- someone or something that has departed or run away
The boy is a gone goose. He will not be returning today.
goose bumps
- a prickly or bumpy feeling on one's skin because of cold or fear or excitement (like the skin of a goose or a chicken)
I got goose bumps as I watched the horror movie.
one's goose is cooked
- one has been discovered to have done something wrong and he or she is now in trouble, one is finished, one's chances for something are ruined
My goose is cooked. Soon my friend will discover that I lost her bicycle.
kill the goose that lays the golden egg
- to spoil or destroy something that is beneficial or makes a lot of money
My friends sold part of their business but it is the most profitable part. I think that they have killed the goose that lays the golden egg.
what's good/sauce for the goose is good/sauce for the gander
- what is good for one person should be good for another person as well
What's good for the goose is good for the gander and if the food is good enough for me, then it is good enough for the other members of our team.
wild goose chase
- a chase that is futile or worthless
The motorcycle riders led the police on a wild goose chase.
Owl Idioms
as wise as an owl
- very wise
My grandfather is as wise as an owl and he seems to know everything.
night owl
- someone who likes to stay up very late at night
My friend is a night owl and he loves to stay up late at night.
Swan Idioms
as graceful as a swan
- very graceful
The figure skater is as graceful as a swan.
swan song
- the last work or performance by an artist before death or retirement
The actor's swan song was his magnificent performance in his recent movie.
Idiom Quizzes - Birds
Choose an idiom to replace the expression in the brackets:
The boy won the science contest which is (an achievement that he can be proud of).
(a) a bat out of hell (b) a feather in his cap (c) a cold turkey (d) a lame duck
"This gathering is (boring and uninteresting). Let`s go home."
(a) no spring chicken (b) chicken feed (c) for the birds (d) as the crow flies
The supervisor was beginning to act too powerful so we had to (bring her under control).
(a) chicken out (b) cook her goose (c) eat like a bird (d) clip her wings
My friend was forced to (admit his mistake) when I phoned him.
(a) eat crow (b) feather his nest (c) kill two birds with one stone (d) clip his wings
The company made a big mistake by closing their small office. They (lost a chance to continue making a lot of money).
(a) counted their chickens before they hatched (b) killed the goose that layed the golden egg (c) chickened out (d) cooked their goose
(Directly) it is not very far to my friend's house, but because the river is between us it takes a long time.
(a) Like water off a duck`s back (b) Like a bat out of hell (c) Like duck soup (d) As the crow flies
We climbed up to the top of the tower to get a (good view) of the new stadium.
(a) cold turkey (b) birds-eye view (c) dead duck (d) lame duck
I was going to go on the canoe trip with my friends but finally I (became afraid and gave up).
(a) killed two birds with one stone (b) feathered my nest (c) cooked my goose (d) chickened out
The woman left the dining room (in a big hurry).
(a) as the crow flies (b) cold turkey (c) like a bat out of hell (d) for the birds
My grandmother is (not so young) but still she likes to play tennis.
(a) a sitting duck (b) no spring chicken (c) an ugly duckling (d) chicken-livered
Return to Main Index
A rolling stone gathers no moss
People say this to mean that an ambitious person is more successful than a person not trying to achieve anything. Originally it meant the opposite and was critical of people trying to get ahead.
Barking up the wrong tree
If you are barking up the wrong tree, it means that you have completely misunderstood something or are totally wrong.
Beat about the bush
If someone doesn't say clearly what they mean and try to make it hard to understand, they are beating about (around) the bush.
Bouquet of orchids
Id someone deserves a bouquet of orchids, they have done something worthy of praise.
Broken reed
If something or someone fails to give you the support you were hoping for, they are a broken reed.
Can't see the forest for its trees
If someone can't see the forest for its trees, they are too focused on specific details to see the picture as a whole.
Clutch at straws
If someone is in serious trouble and tries anything to help them, even though their chances of success are probably nil, they are clutching at straws.
Come up roses
If things come up roses, they produce a positive result, especially when things seemed to be going badly at first.
Come up smelling of roses
(UK) If someone comes up smelling of roses, they emerge from a situation with their reputation undamaged.
Cut down the tall poppies
(AU) If people cut down the tall poppies, they criticise people who stand out from the crowd.
Demon weed
Tobacco is the demon weed.
Draw the shortest straw
If someone draws the shortest straw, they lose or are chosen to do something unpleasant.
Easy as falling off a log
Something very easy or simple to do is as easy as falling off a log.
Flowery speech
Flowery speech is full of lovely words, but may well lack substance.
Forest for the trees
(USA) If someone can't see the forest for the trees, they get so caught up in small details that they fail to understand the bigger picture.
Gild the lily
If you gild the lily, you decorate something that is already ornate.
Go to seed
If someone has gone to seed, they have declined in quality or appearance.
Grasp the nettle
(UK) If you grasp the nettle, you deal bravely with a problem.
Grass roots
This idioms is often used in politics, where it refers to the ordinary people or voters. It can be used to mean people at the bottom of a hierarchy.
Hit the hay
When you hit the hay, you go to bed.
In the tall cotton
A phrase that expresses good times or times of plenty and wealth as tall cotton means a good crop.
Jungle out there
If someone says that it is a jungle out there, they mean that the situation is dangerous and there are no rules.
Just as the twig is bent, the tree’s inclined
Things, especially education, that affect and influence us in our childhood shape the kind of adult we turn out to be. (There are various versions of this, like 'As the twig is bent, the tree's inclined' and 'As the twig is bent, so the tree inclines', 'As the twig is bent so is the tree inclined')
Kick something into the long grass
If an issue or problem is kicked into the long grass, it is pushed aside and hidden in the hope that it will be forgotten or ignored.
Knock on wood
This idiom is used to wish for good luck. ('Touch wood' is also used.)
Last straw
The last straw is the final problem that makes someone lose their temper or the problem that finally brought about the collapse of something. It comes from an Arabic story, where a camel was loaded with straw until a single straw placed on the rest of the load broke its back.
Late bloomer
When someone does not obtain success with their interests, talents, or personality until later in their lives, we say they are a late bloomer.
Lead someone up the garden path
If someone leads you up the garden path, they deceive you, or give you false information that causes you to waste your time. 'Lead someone down the garden path' is also used.
Let the grass grow round your feet
If you let the grass grow round your feet, you delay doing things instead of taking action.
Little strokes fell great oaks
Meaning: even though something may seem impossible, if you break it up into small parts and take one step at a time, you will succeed.
Lose your gourd
If someone has lost the gourd, they are out of the mind or have gone crazy- "gourd" is a melon-like plant that symbolizes a person's head. ("Out of your gourd" and "Off your gourd" are also used.)
Make hay
If you make hay, or may hay while the sun shines, you take advantage of an opportunity as soon as it arises and do not waste time.
Mighty oaks from little acorns grow
Big or great things start very small.
Muck or nettles
'Muck or nettles' means 'all or nothing'.
Needle in a haystack
If trying to find something is like looking for a needle in a haystack, it means that it is very difficult, if not impossible to find among everything around it.
Never a rose without the prick
This means that good things always have something bad as well; like the thorns on the stem of a rose.
Nip it in the bud
If you nip something in the bud, you deal with a problem when it is still small, before it can grow into something serious.
No bed of roses
If something isn't a bed of roses, it is difficult.
Old chestnut
An old chestnut is something that has been repeated so many times that it has lost its impact.
Olive branch
If you hold out or offer an olive branch, you make a gesture to indicate that you want peace.
Oops a daisy
An expression used to indicate surprise.
Out of the woods
If you are out of the woods, you have emerged safely from a dangerous situation, though the idiom is often used in the negative.
Primrose path
The primrose path is an easy and pleasurable lifestyle, but one that ends in unpleasantness and problems.
Pushing up the daisies
If someone is said to be pushing up the daisies, they are dead.
Put someone out to pasture
If someone is put out to pasture, they are forced to resign or give up some responsibilities.
Rough end of the stick
To get the rough end of the stick is to be treated unfairly or to come off worse than the other party in a transaction, situation or relationship.
Run around the bush
(USA) If you run around the bush, it means that you're taking a long time to get to the point.
Seed money
Seed money is money that is used to start a small business.
Short end of the stick
If someone gets the short end of the stick, they are unfairly treated or don't get what they deserve.
Shrinking violet
A shrinking violet is a shy person who doesn't express their views and opinions.
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800 pound gorilla
The 800-pound gorilla is the dominant force in an industry (the classic example is Microsoft in the computer industry.)
A little bird told me
If someone doesn't want to say where they got some information from, they can say that a little bird told them.
Albatross around your neck
An albatross around, or round, your neck is a problem resulting from something you did that stops you from being successful.
All bark and no bite
When someone talks tough but really isn't, they are all bark and no bite.
Angry as a bear
If someone is as angry as a bear, they are very angry.('Angry as a bear with a sore foot' is also used.)
Angry as a bull
If someone is as angry as a bull, they are very angry.
Ants in your pants
If someone has ants in their pants, they are agitated or excited about something and can't keep still.
As mad as a wrongly shot hog
(USA) If someone is as mad as a wrongly shot hog, they are very angry. (Same as, Angry as a bear or Angry as a bull).
As rare as hen's teeth
(USA) Something that is rare as hen's teeth is very rare or non-existent.
As the crow flies
This idiom is used to describe the shortest possible distance between two places.
At a snail's pace
If something moves at a snail's pace, it moves very slowly.
Back the wrong horse
If you back the wrong horse, you give your support to the losing side in something.
Bats in the belfry
Someone with bats in the belfry is crazy or eccentric.
Be on the pig's back
If you're on the pig's back, you're happy / content / in fine form.
Bear market
A bear market is a period when investors are pessimistic and expect financial losses so are more likely to sell than to buy shares.
Beard the lion in his own den
If you confront a powerful or dangerous rival on their territory, you are bearding the lion in his own den.
Beating a dead horse
(USA) If someone is trying to convince people to do or feel something without any hope of succeeding, they're beating a dead horse. This is used when someone is trying to raise interest in an issue that no-one supports anymore; beating a dead horse will not make it do any more work.
Bee in your bonnet
If someone is very excited about something, they have a bee in their bonnet.
Bee's Knees
If something is the bee's knees, it's outstanding or the best in its class.
Beeline for
If you make a beeline for a place, you head there directly.
Bell the cat
To bell the cat is to perform a difficult or impossible task.
Bend someone's ear
To bend someone's ear is to talk to someone about something for a long-enough period that it becomes tiresome for the listener.
Better be the head of a dog than the tail of a lion
This means that it is better to be the head or at the top of something that isn't very important or prestigious than a small or unimportant member of something big.
Between you and me and the cat's whiskers
This idiom is used when telling someone something that you want them to keep secret.
Big fish
An important person in a company or an organisation is a big fish.
Big fish in a small pond
A big fish in a small pond is an important person in a small place or organisation.
Bigger fish to fry
If you aren't interested in something because it isn't important to you and there are more important things for you to do, you have bigger fish to fry.
Bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
'A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush' is a proverb meaning that it is better to have something that is certain than take a risk to get more, where you might lose everything.
Bird's eye view
If you have a bird's eye view of something, you can see it perfectly clearly.
Bird-brain
Someone who has a bird-brain, or is bird-brained, is stupid.
Bird-dog
(USA) If you bird-dog, you follow someone or something very closely, monitoring them.
Birds and the bees
If a child is taught about the birds and the bees, they are taught about sex.
Birds of a feather flock together
This idiom means that people with similar interests will stick together.
Blind as a bat
If you are in total darkness and can't see anything at all, you are as blind as a bat.
Brass monkey
If it's brass monkey weather, or cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey, it is extremely cold.
Break the back of the beast
If you break the back of the beast, you accomplish a challenge.
Bull in a China shop
If someone behaves like a bull in a China shop, they are clumsy when they should be careful.
Bull market
A bull market is a period when investors are optimistic and there are expectations that good financial results will continue.
Bull session
If you have a bull session, you have an informal group discussion about something.
Bull-headed
If you're a bull-headed, you're stubborn or inflexible.
Busy as a beaver
If you're as busy as a beaver, you're very busy indeed.
Busy as a bee
If you are as busy as a bee, you are very busy indeed.
Butterflies in your stomach
The nervous feeling before something important or stressful is known as butterflies in your stomach.
By a whisker
If you do something by a whisker, you only just manage to do it and come very near indeed to failing.
Calf lick
A calf lick is the weird parting in your fringe where your hair grows in a different direction, usually to one side.
Call the dogs off
If someone calls off their dogs, they stop attacking or criticising someone.
Can of worms
If an action can create serious problems, it is opening a can of worms.
Canary in a coal mine
(UK) A canary in a coal mine is an early warning of danger.
Cast pearls before swine
If you cast pearls before swine, you offer something of value to someone who doesn't appreciate it- 'swine' are 'pigs'.
Cast sheep's eyes at
If you cast sheep's eyes at at someone, you look lovingly or with longing at them.
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