Ever noticed how many everyday expressions seem to make reference to animals?
Holy cow, you've been waiting until the cows come home. Time to take the bull by the horns as you grab the bull in a china shop.
What's that? Cat get your tongue? Maybe you need a catnap. You don't want to look like something the cat dragged in. Be careful on that hot tin roof. And it seems the cat's amongst the pigeons. Of course, when the cat's away, the mice will play. And now you grin like a Cheshire cat as you think about having nine lives. Be warned, however, for curiosity killed the cat. Who let the cat out of the bag? Which also reminds me, when are you going to buy a bigger house? Not enough room to swing a cat.
You might think this posting is a bit of a wild goose chase. And no, I've never seen anybody chasing a wild goose. Perhaps I'm barking up the wrong tree. Although my bark's worse than my bite. Mad dogs and Englishmen got out in the midday sun. Evidently, it's a dog-eat-dog world. Yet, every dog has its day. Any more jumbled sentences and I may end up in the dog house.
Writing this posting is enough to make me go ape. A bit of monkey business. Monkey see, monkey do. Have you heard of the half-ape, half-flower creature? A Chimp pansy.
Almost time to end this post. I'm as busy as a beaver. An eager beaver. Which is a bit of a cock and bull story. I wont go the whole hog. Hope you had a whale of a time or I might end up in a kangaroo court. I know I had more fun than a barrel of monkeys. That was straight from the horse's mouth.
It's raining cats and dogs. Watch out for the poodles.
Too funny! Nice job stringing all those animal lines along!
ReplyDeleteHi Sherry,
DeleteThank you, Sherry. And no I wasn't drunk as a skunk when I wrote it! :)
Gary :)
I know you wouldn't steer us wrong, Gary!
ReplyDeleteFunny stuff. Now I will be thinking of animal sayings all night.
Hi Alex,
DeleteNo bull from me, good sir.
Happy animal idioms to you.
Gary :)
Pawsome and punny...hehe...
ReplyDeleteYou're wicked with words, Gary - love it!
Hi Kim,
DeleteThank you for that. You know me, never one to make a mountain out of a molehill.
Gary :)
Witty post, Gary. Now I feel as playful as a puppy. (Well, this one doesn't exist, but I just made it up.)
ReplyDeleteLots of polar bears hugs for you and Penny!
Hi Julia,
DeleteVery kind of you, my friend. No kitten, playful as a puppy sounds good to me :)
Snug as a hug in a rug to you, Julia.
Gary :)
Did someone say puppy? The kids are giving me puppy dog eyes. Guess I should go be a mum, eh? (Brilliant.)
ReplyDeleteHi Crystal,
DeleteAnd they called it puppy love. The kids gave you puppy dog eyes? Let me take a closer look at your photo icon! :) Have fun, mum :)
Gary :)
I am impressed with your ability to write a whole post using idioms! Cat would have gotten my tongue. ;) What a fun and clever post.
ReplyDelete~Jess
Hi Jess,
DeleteHey thanks for that. More than one way to skin a cat, apparently :)
Gary :)
Very fun post. Now I'm thinking of animal sayings. :-)
ReplyDeleteHi Danielle,
DeleteGlad you thought it was a fun post. Thank you. I think I used the lion's share of them in the posting.
Gary :)
Delightful! You know, my son gets very upset when we refer to animals in the negative sense...as in bloody pig. He says, be fair to the pig! :)
ReplyDeletePenny is really Pawesome! Hugs to her!
Hi Vidya,
DeleteThere are number of idioms that do hog for attention. They start to boar after awhile :) Your son is quite right.
Penny thanks you for such a pawsitive compliment.
Gary :)
Oh, I never heard "cat's amongst the pigeons." But, there are not many pigeons in this little town. I love the wolf in sheep's clothing.
ReplyDeleteI never leave the fox to watch the henhouse. But, the raccoons invite themselves over, so I lose hens..
Hi Linda,
DeleteAh yes, the cat's amongst the pigeons. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. What the hell that means, I have no idea :) Who's afraid of the big, bad wolf....
Not a good situation with the hen house. As sly as a fox. As Rocky as a raccoon. If you read this comment, would you please contact me, Linda. I cannot get onto your site. My email is readily available from my profile. Thank you.
Gary :)
Penny is one amazing posting dog!!!
ReplyDeleteArf Arf...
~shoes~
Hi Mr. Red Shoes,
DeletePenny has let sleeping dogs lie. I shall let her know what you said. Arf! Arf! Indeed!
Gary :)
Bats in your belfrey, bees in your bonnet....what's the matter, someone get your goat? Strong as an ox, weak as a kitten......I think I'll goose step it on out of here now.
ReplyDeleteHi Delores,
DeleteThank you for participating. Can you imagine if I'd used every animal idiom it would have been my longest posting, ever! Like a bat out of hell. And no, I wont nag you with any more. I'm only horsing around :)
Gary :)
Big smiles. This post has made me as happy as a pig in mud. Which is no bull. I am flatter than a lizard drinking, and still can't find anything wrong with it. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteHi Sue
DeleteGrinning like a Cheshire cat :) Did you know I'm knee-high to a grasshopper? Thank you, Sue. Tie me kangaroo down, sport...
Gary :)
I just backed the wrong horse so now I am going to get as drunk as a skunk. Ah well Gary, the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry but I always was the black sheep of the family!
ReplyDeleteI just bought a poke from a man in the pub; I wonder what's inside it?
CLICK HERE for Bazza’s Blog ‘To Discover Ice’
Hi bazza,
DeleteI knew I could rely on you to add to this fascinating topic. Thank you for not aping any of my idioms. Please inform the British, my good chap, that "rough as a bear's arse" is incorrect. A bear's butt is smooth. Don't ask!
You bought a stuffed pig. Congrats and happy poking....
Gary :)
You're like a wise owl and sly fox, Penny. Cute as a button too. Wait a minute, a button isn't an animal. Heck, what makes a button cute, anyway? Some buttons are ugly. Don't mind me. I'm slow as a snail right now with a witty comment.
ReplyDeleteHugs to you and your human.
xoRobyn
Hi Robyn,
DeleteI shall pass on your wisely sly comment to Penny. Cute as a button, yep. And daft as a brush. Did you hear about the snail who painted the letter "S" on the side of its vehicle? That way, all the other snails would say, " look at that S car go!"
Penny's alleged human,
Gary :) x
You're quite batty good sir. Mad as a box of frogs swanning around like a dog with two....erm ....best left I think that one, ahem. I'm just parroting on now. ;)
ReplyDeleteHi Michelle,
DeleteThank you very much. And thanks for your clever participation. How are you, duck? Now I must go find out about the bird and the bees....
Gary :)
Love it! Love it! Love it! My son hates it when I talk in idioms. These young ones ~ I fear that the idiom may die.
ReplyDeleteHi Carol,
DeleteThank you, thank you, thank you! :) The idiot, sorry, the idiom must live on. Although I might be going out on a limb with this one.
Gary :)
The French also have funny animal sayings. One of my favorites is, to speak French like a Spanish cow, "Parler français comme une vache espagnole." I guess that would be "Le ¡Moo-Olé! :P
ReplyDeleteHi Elise,
DeleteMon dieu, Elise! Parfois je me sens comme maladroit comme une vache sur patins à roulettes.
Gary :)
Very clever post. I am grinning like a Cheshire Cat.
ReplyDeleteHi Arleen,
DeleteThank you. As clever as a fox, perhaps. Happy grinning, my friend.
Gary :)
Never thought of it until now but yes you are very right - so many sayings have to do with animals. That makes me as curious as a cat!
ReplyDeleteHi Keith,
DeleteIndeed, there are and an elephant never forgets. And you know what curiosity did to the cat :)
Gary :)
What a great idea to post about! Penny has nothing on you, even though she is a great writer! Thanks Gary, for starting my day off with a laugh!
ReplyDeleteHi Lisa,
DeleteThanks for that, Lisa. I had to compete against Penny in the dog-eat-dog world. So much for the rat race. I'm very glad this made you laugh.
Gary :)
LOL, love this. Anything with animals in the title will get my attention and this didn't disappoint.
ReplyDeleteNo question Penny did an amazing job with her post. She is always so wise. :)
Hi Julie Flanders,
DeleteI know how much you adore our animal friends. I'm glad this didn't disappoint you.
Penny did an amazing job, as paw usual, um per usual, with her pawst, um post :) She keeps hounding me to try and write as well as her.
Gary :)
Thanks for a fun post and fun time. I sometimes am guilty of using some of those idioms LOL.
ReplyDeleteFun post means you are doing good, which is great.
Hi Munir,
DeleteThank you for being part of this fun experience :) Looks like the cat's out of the bag :)
Gary :)
haha yeah I've noticed a time or three that humans have a thing for animal references, they also seem to have a thing for bull umm spit
ReplyDeleteHi Pat in the Hatt,
DeleteHumans talk a load of bull. I can hardly bear it.
Gary :)
Aaah! The pressure! I'm desperately trying to think of clever animal-themed retorts and have come up totally empty-handed. Sigh. I'm blaming it on the farting cat. (That sounds as if it *should* be some obscure and silly phrase, but of course, I'm referring to my very own gassy cat.)
ReplyDeleteHi Ms. CrankyPants,
DeleteThe farting cat, fur sure. The farting cat is now going to be an official animal idiom. Talk about being the cat's ass :) What a gas.....
Gary :)
NICE!
ReplyDeletePenny the Jack Russell dog and modest internet superstar, should love todays post!
Unless she finds it unBearable.
Hi DAVID,
DeleteShe almost approved of this post. She did however, hound me over some of the idioms. Doesn't bear thinking about.
Gary :)
Hehehe you clever dog you!!
ReplyDeleteHi Caren,
DeleteI aint nothing but a hound dog, crying all the time....
Gary :)
Dang I can remember my momma yelling, Close the door! Were you born in a barn? With all those idioms I imagine that is where that expression may have come from! :) Great post btw!
ReplyDeleteHi Gossip_Grl,
DeleteBeing born in a barn can make you stable. I've been informed you have to lock the barn door after the horse is gone.
Thank you for liking this post. I appreciate that.
Gary :)
If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it just might be a duck!
ReplyDeleteHi Robin,
DeleteWhat the duck! Such a fowl comment. I like it and I wont duck the issue.
Gary :)
Very clever! Hope it's not raining cats and dogs there!
ReplyDeleteHi Suzanne,
DeleteThanks. It's coming down in buckets.
Gary :)
I like looking up the origin of idioms like those. I grew up hearing 'keep your eyes peeled' whenever looking for something.
ReplyDeleteHi JoJo,
DeleteSome of the origins make for fascinating reading. Peeling your eyes doesn't sound like much fun :)
Gary :)
I agree with what everyone else has already said. You are a wise one, ole Gary-san. But you are also the cat's meow.
ReplyDeleteHi Joylene,
DeleteI agree with all of them and you. Note how shy and humble I am. I'm the cat's meow and I'm wearing the cat's pyjamas. Enjoy your time in Mexico.
Gary :)
Seriously. You are too funny. That would make the cutest kid's story. My guys would have had me reading a story with all those idioms over and over again!
ReplyDeleteHi Elizabeth,
DeleteYou are way too nice. Thanks. I'm feeling like the cat that got the cream! :)
Gary :)
*LOL* Hilarious! I feel kind of dizzy like I've been on an amusement park ride now.
ReplyDeleteHi Christine,
DeleteAs dizzy as a goose. This was like being at Playland :)
Gary :)
This is fantastic!
ReplyDeleteMade me laugh for sure.
Chimp pansy.....ha ha, my stuffed baby chimpanzee is rolling his eyes over here.
Hi River,
DeleteGlad you liked it. Thank you.
Your stuffy baby chimpanzee is rolling his eyes? Sounds painful! :)
Gary :)
Thanks for the laugh Gary :)
ReplyDelete......dhole
Hi Donna,
DeleteI'm really pleased this good make you laugh. I'm laughing like a hyena :)
Gary :)
I agree with Elizabeth that this could be turned into the "cutest kid's story!" You could be the next Dr Doolittle or Dr Seuss!
ReplyDeleteJulie
Hi Julie,
DeleteElizabeth, just like you, is very clever. Dr. Seuss meets Mother Goose on a wild goose change with Dr. Doolittle :)
Gary :)
I think I will Lion the bed for a while or I may go and Cow-er in the corner . . . HAH HHAH HAH HA HHAH AH ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
ReplyDeleteHi Rob,
DeleteAre you sure you aren't lion to me? Your comment was moooving. Aha and howl are you!
Gary :)
HeeHee! Cute post Gary! It drives me nuts when the newscasters keep mixing these up... the other day one reporter was talking about fog and said it was" as thick as cats and dogs out"... what???
ReplyDeleteHi CraveCute,
DeleteI think that reporter was in a fog. As thick as pea soup. Oh my, that does make me scratch my head!
Gary :)
Fun stuff! After reading this, I realize we do have a plethora of animal idioms.
ReplyDeleteHi Medeia,
DeleteMore fun than a barrel of monkeys! There are so many animal idioms that I think I'm starting to talk pigeon English.
Gary :)
This was a most entertaining read, Gary. I almost ducked for cover, but busy bee me just couldn't play possum or act a sloth. I'll leave you now with bird in hand while I eye the two in the bush.
ReplyDeleteLater alligator. :)
Hi Jeff,
DeleteI love how you got involved with this. The early bird catches the worm. And I wont chicken out or duck the issue.
In awhile, Crocodile.
Gary :)
I've seen people chase wild geese, but I've also seen wild geese chase people, so we're good there. And swans. And ducks. And squirrels. That makes me feel squirrely just thinking about it.
ReplyDeleteHi Shannon,
DeleteYou have? Wow, an actual wild human chase, perhaps. A lot of chasing in your neck of the woods. I wonder if you saw Rocky and Bullwinkle :)
Gary :)
Cute post! I LOVE the raining cats and dogs pic - especially the little cat curled up on the girl's umbrella. Aww. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Lexa,
DeleteThank you. That photo is hilarious. I'm surprised Mary Poppins wasn't somewhere amongst that.
Gary :)
You did well with this. LOL!
ReplyDeleteHi Shelly,
DeleteThank you and well a whale of a good time :)
Gary :)
lol - I'm just giggling like a hyena over here! Too funny, Gary! :)
ReplyDeleteHi M.J.,
DeleteHysterical laughing like a hyena alert! Thank you, dear friend.
Gary :)
I love the photo of the wolf in sheep's clothing!
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I have two children home from school today. Both of them are sick as dogs. What does that even mean anyway?
Hi Leslie,
DeleteAh yes, the wolf in sheep's clothing. Sometimes I think I'm a lamb dressed up as mutton.
In Britain, they say, "sick as a parrot", instead. I hope your children are okay.
Gary :)
I've chased a wild turkey and escaped unscathed. Does that count?
ReplyDeleteHi Carol,
DeleteSure thing. Sounds like a sporting activity for Thanksgiving.
Gary :)
I love puns Gary, so you had me rolling. I was going to come up with an animal idiom, but I don't give a hoot.
ReplyDeleteHi Maurice,
DeleteLet the pundemonium continue :) Very good! I knew you were a wise old owl.
Gary :)
Well, aren't you the bee's knees? Certainly no dumb bunny could come up with all these fun animal idioms. I guess that must make you a smart... gentleman.
ReplyDeleteHappy weekend! I hope you and Penny are as snug as a couple bugs in a rug, and happy as a couple clams.
Hi Susan,
DeleteYep, I sure is. Although some think I'm a snake in the grass as I cry crocodile tears.
And a hoppy, happy weekend to you, Susan. Must go now, I have a frog in my throat.
Gary :)
To say nothing of spanking the monkey, flogging the weasel, or yanking the trouser snake.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I guess I went there.
Hi Al,
DeleteAre you describing a "selfie"? Aren't you the dog's bollocks!
Gary :)
I smiled all the way through that! Love it. And the responses are awesome! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Jemi,
DeleteI'm glad this made you smile. The responses and the interaction really do make for a fun time. That and a barrel of monkeys! :)
Gary :)
I Love!
ReplyDeleteyou are the Cat's Meowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. xxx
Hi Kim,
DeleteThank you. Some have called me the dog's bollocks. Evidently, that's a compliment!
Gary :) x
Excellent collection of idioms! What a strange language we speak.
ReplyDeleteHi Susan,
DeleteAnd I knew the collection would grow. As quiet as a church mouse, I shall now finish typing.
Gary :)