Animal Idioms and Proverbs

Animal Idioms and Proverbs

Hi everyone!

In this post I am going to show you some animal idioms and proverbs you can use in your everyday life. It is worth remembering that most of the time the meaning has nothing to do with the words we see in the sentence. Those with no equivalent in Spanish will be explained for you to know when and how to use them. Are you ready?

1. The hair of the dog (that bit you)

Have you ever had one too many and were hungover the following day? Have you ever been told that you should have an alcoholic drink to cure the effects of drinking too much the previous night? Some people say that if you drink a beer, your hangover will disappear. This is what the hair of the dog means, that is, having an alcoholic drink the day after a night out to remedy the hangover. For example, imagine you partied hard last night and today you have got a strong hangover. You tell your friends how you feel and they say: "You know what to do to feel better, don't you? The hair of the dog!

Beer Bar Regular Patrons Dogs by K. K. J. Hultman CC0 1.0 Public Domain

2. Let the cat out of the bag

Have you ever revealed a secret unintentionally? That is what this idiom means. In Spanish we would probably say "se me ha escapado" after realizing we have revealed a secret by mistake. Imagine you did it and told your friend: "Emma, I'm so sorry! I let the cat out of the bag! Now Mary knows what you did."

"Surprise!" by Ana Luiza Oliveira CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

3. Hold your horses

We use this idiom to tell somebody to wait and not to be impatient. Knowing when to use this one is a piece of cake for you, since we have an equivalent in Spanish: "aguanta caballos."

Wild Horses Oil Painting by Tanya Hall CC0 1.0 Public Domain

4. Take the bull by the horns

This proverb means to deal with a difficult situation with determination. We are familiar with this saying too, because we also use it in Spanish. Have your parents ever told you: "coge el toro por los cuernos"? Does it ring a bell? I am sure it does!

Charging Bull Statue by Petr Kratochvil CC0 1.0 Public Domain

5. The early bird catches the worm

Last but not least, how many times has your granny told you "a quien madruga, Dios le ayuda"? I am sure more than once! English speakers say the early bird catches the worm that literally means "el pájaro madrugador se lleva el gusano." The idea is the same in both. In other words, if you do something straightaway, you are active and alert, you will have more chances to succeed.

"Robin bird eating meal worms" by C. Watts CC BY 2.0

I hope you have enjoyed! I will post more idioms and proverbs soon. Are you looking forward to it? 

If you have any questions, please leave a comment.

Cheerio!