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He has been acting like an ape ever since his girlfriend left him.
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He is barking up the wrong tree. He accuses me of causing the computer problem but I was away at the time.
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He is betting on the wrong horse if he keeps supporting the other city in their bid for the games.
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He is like a bull in a china shop so you should be careful if you invite him to your house for the weekend.
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The new business is a great cash cow. We are making a lot of money now.
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The cat must have got her tongue. She did not saying anything at all.
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They have decided to change lawyers but I told them that they shouldn’t change horses in midstream.
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He is a copycat according to the other students in the class.
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He is crying wolf. There is no real danger or worry about the electrical system causing a fire.
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You shouldn’t worry about what he is doing. Remember curiosity killed the cat.
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He was a dark horse in the race to be President until he gave some good speeches on TV.
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It is a dog-eat-dog world outside the father said to his young son.
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He really is a dumb bunny. I can’t believe that he can do such stupid things.
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She is a real eager beaver and I am sure she will do very well in this company.
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Her brother who is 18 years old eats like a horse.
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Don’t worry about him. Every dog has his day and he will eventually suffer for all the bad things that he is doing.
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get on one’s high horse
MEANING: behave with arrogance
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She is always getting on her high horse and telling people what to do.
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I wish that she would get off her high horse and begin to think about how other people feel about things.
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He will go ape if he sees that you have not finished the work that was due today.
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They went whole hog in their effort to make sure that the convention was a success.
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I think that he really hit the bulls-eye when he talked about the problems with the regular staff.
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Hold your horses for a moment while I make a phone call.
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Holy cow he said as he saw the car that had hit the street lamp.
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The teacher told the children to stop horsing around and get ready for class.
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Moving to a new location is a horse of a different colour. It was never mentioned in any of our meetings.
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It was decided in a kangaroo court that he would have to pay for the damage that he had caused to the school building.
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He is leading a dog’s life since he married the woman who everyone told him not to.
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She let the cat out of the bag when she began talking about the plans for the new department.
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He has been living high on the hog since he changed jobs and moved to Texas.
lock the barn door after the horse is gone
MEANING: be careful or try to make something certain after it is too late
EXAMPLE:
Now he wants to try and fix his house but it is like locking the barn door after the horse is gone. There was already a flood and the damage is done.
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You look like the cat that swallowed the canary. What happened?
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You are making a mountain out of a molehill with your going on and on about his mistake.
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He should stop that monkey business and try to do the job the correct way.
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piggy bank
MEANING: a small bank (sometimes in the shape of a pig) for saving money
EXAMPLE:
He has been putting money into his piggy bank to save for a bicycle.
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He is playing a cat and mouse game with his company about his plans to quit or not.
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I think that buying a ticket before we make any plans is putting the cart before the horse.
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It has been raining cats and dogs all day.
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He ratted out on his friends and now they won’t talk to him.
rat race
MEANING: rushing around, confusing way of living that does not seem to have a purpose
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The person in front of me on the highway was a road hog but I tried not to get angry.
sacred cow
MEANING: a person or thing that is never criticized or changed even if it should be
EXAMPLE:
The school lunch program is a sacred cow which they will never change.
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The children were calling their friend a scaredy-cat because she wouldn’t go into the empty house.
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I smell a rat. There is something wrong with his relationship to the bankers.
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Her accusing me of not working hard enough was the straw that broke the camel’s back so I finally asked for a transfer to another section of the company.
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He left the meeting with his tail between his legs after he was criticized by the president.
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My aunt decided to take the bull by the horns and begin preparations for the family reunion.
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We can talk until the cows come home this weekend at the lake.
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He decided to throw his co-worker to the wolves when he asked him to go and see the other company.
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We decided to turn tail and leave the pub before there was a fight.
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There was a wildcat strike at the factory and over 100 people walked off the job.
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Be careful of that man. He is a wolf in sheep’s clothing
