Animal Idioms

Because Rachel has a degree in Zoology, I somewhat twisted her arm into teaching a lesson on animals. She did a GREAT job of creating a lesson (including a powerpoint presentation that she showed on her computer) about animals from each continent. The students loved learning about the animals and seeing the pictures.

Following Rachel’s presentation, we followed by teaching animal idioms. I compiled a list of idioms, and Hannah picked out ones she wanted to teach. Here is a list (by no means comprehensive):

1. Dog tired: exhausted

2. I could eat a horse: very hungry/ so hungry you could eat an entire horse

3. Chicken: to be scared

4. Sly as a fox: very cunning

5. You silly goose: silly/ ridiculous

6. Sweating like a pig: very hot, sweating

7. Grumpy as a bear: in a bad mood

8. A dog is a man’s best friend

9. King of the jungle: a lion, most powerful animal

10. Songbird: someone who sings a lot

11. Strong as an ox: very strong

12. Stubborn as a mule: very stubborn, unwilling to change

13. Blind as a bat: can’t see

14. Busy beaver: working very hard and carefully

15. Quiet as a mouse: very quiet

16. Sick as a dog: very sick

17. Curiosity killed the cat: being too nosy may lead a person into trouble

18. Have a cow: to become very angry and upset about something

19. Hold your horses: to wait, to be patient

20. Let the cat out of the bag: to tell something that is supposed to be secret

21. A piggy bank: a small bank, often in the shape of a pig

22. Top dog: most important person in an organization/ business

23. Free as a bird: no responsibility

24. Ants in your pants: squirmy

25. Fishing for answers: searching/ looking for answers

After teaching the idioms, we played a “game” of sorts. We cut up strips of scrap paper and wrote out clues about the animals (i.e. fastest animal on earth) and partial idioms (i.e. I am _____ tired). We folded up the papers and put them in a bag. We divided the class into two teams. Each team took turns sending a representative to the front of the room; he or she drew a slip of paper and read it to the team. The team then guessed the answer or finished the idiom. They were given a few minutes before the game to review their notes and then were asked to close their notes for the actual game. If a team couldn’t answer, the other team was given a chance. It was a great way to review the material covered.