Idioms – a language puzzle

1. Idioms – a language puzzle Idioms using Animals - dogs

2. as clean as a hound's tooth - very clean The classroom was as clean as a hound's tooth when the students finished cleaning it. as crooked as a dog's hind leg - dishonest The politician is as crooked as a dog's hind leg and everybody dislikes him. as sick as a dog - very sick -My friend was as sick as a dog when he left the restaurant last night.

3. as clean as a hound's tooth • Think of something that is very clean. • That _________ is as clean as a hound’s tooth. • What is a hound? • Why is his tooth clean?

4. as crooked as a dog's hind leg • Think of someone that is not honest • That ________________is as crooked as a dog’s hind leg • Where is the hind leg? • How is it shaped? • What does crooked mean? • A person who is a crook it one who is not honest or not straight.

5. as sick as a dog - very sick -My friend was as sick as a dog when he left the restaurant last night. Think of a situation in which someone is sick. Who is the one sick? _________ was as sick as a dog _________________

6. Dog’s bark one's bark is worse than one's bite - one's words are worse than one's actions You should not worry about her. Her bark is worse than her bite and she is really a very nice person. bark up the wrong tree - to choose the wrong course of action, to ask the wrong person (a hunting dog may make a mistake when chasing an animal and bark up the wrong tree) - My boss is barking up the wrong tree. I did not cause the computer problem because I was away at the time.

7. one's bark is worse than one's bite • Think of someone who tries to be mean or rough, but isn’t. • Think of a situation where something has gone wrong and someone makes a threat he doesn’t intend to keep • _________”s bark is worse than His/her bite when it comes to _______

8. bark up the wrong tree • Think of a situation in which one person accuses another of something but is wrong about it. • _________ is barking up the wrong tree when (s)he says ___________

9. Disagreement call the dogs off - to stop threatening/chasing/hounding someone -The police decided to call the dogs off and stop hunting for the man. dog and pony show - something that you disapprove of because you think that it has only been organized to impress you (like a dog and pony show in a circus) We had serious questions about the project but we only got a dog and pony show when we asked for answers from our business partners. dog-eat-dog - ready or willing to fight and hurt others to get what one wants -It is a dog-eat-dog world in our company

10. Think of a situation in which someone is threatening another or harassing someone. Threaten – to say you will do something; usually said in a mean way Harass – to continuously bother a person I wish __________ would call the dogs off ______ call the dogs off

11. dog and pony show • Think of something that happens to make some one look good when they do not; something dishonest and you know it.

12. dog-eat-dog • Think of a mean situation in which people hurt each other. Usually this is in relation to the bad guy winning or someone using a bad way to win something or get a promotion. • _____ won the election by buying votes and proves it is a dog-eat-dog world.

13. dog in the manger - someone who prevents others from doing what they themselves do not want to do (in Aesop's Fables a dog that cannot eat hay lays in the hayrack and prevents the other animals from eating the hay) - My friend always acts like a dog in the manger and often tries to prevent us from enjoying ourselves. every dog has his day - everyone will have his chance or turn, everyone will get what he deserves -"Don`t worry about him. Every dog has his day and he will eventually suffer for all the bad things that he is doing." fight like cats and dogs - to argue and fight with someone (usually used for people who know each other) -The two children were fighting like cats and dogs when we entered the room. go to the dogs - to deteriorate, to become bad -Many things in our city have gone to the dogs during the last ten years.

14. dog in the manger - someone who prevents others from doing what they themselves do not want to do (in Aesop's Fables a dog that cannot eat hay lays in the hayrack and prevents the other animals from eating the hay) - My friend always acts like a dog in the manger and often tries to prevent us from enjoying ourselves.

15. every dog has his day - everyone will have his chance or turn, everyone will get what he deserves -"Don`t worry about him. Every dog has his day and he will eventually suffer for all the bad things that he is doing."

16. fight like cats and dogs - to argue and fight with someone (usually used for people who know each other) -The two children were fighting like cats and dogs when we entered the room.

17. go to the dogs - to deteriorate, to become bad -Many things in our city have gone to the dogs during the last ten years.

18. the hair of the dog that bit one - a drink of alcohol that one takes when recovering from a hangover -The man woke up and had the hair of the dog that bit him before he ate breakfast. to hound (someone) - to pursue/chase someone, to harass someone -The manager is always hounding the younger members of her staff to make sure that they work hard. in the doghouse - in disgrace or disfavor, in trouble -The man is in the doghouse with his wife because he came home late last night. lead a dog`s life - to lead a miserable life -The man is leading a dog`s life since he married the woman who everyone told him not to. let sleeping dogs lie - to not make trouble if you do not have to -You should let sleeping dogs lie and not ask our boss any questions about the dispute

19. the hair of the dog that bit one - a drink of alcohol that one takes when recovering from a hangover -The man woke up and had the hair of the dog that bit him before he ate breakfast.

20. the hair of the dog that bit one to pursue/chase someone, to harass someone -The manager is always hounding the younger members of her staff to make sure that they work hard.

21. in the doghouse - in disgrace or disfavor, in trouble -The man is in the doghouse with his wife because he came home late last night.

22. lead a dog`s life - to lead a miserable life -The man is leading a dog`s life since he married the woman who everyone told him not to.

23. let sleeping dogs lie - to not make trouble if you do not have to -You should let sleeping dogs lie and not ask our boss any questions about the dispute.

24. put on the dog - to dress or entertain in a luxurious and extravagant manner -We put on the dog for my parents when they came to visit us. rub (someone/someone's fur) the wrong way - to irritate someone (just as you would irritate a dog or cat if you rub their fur the wrong way) -The woman who I work with rubs me the wrong way when I speak to her. see a man about a dog - to leave for some unmentioned purpose (often to go to the washroom) -I left the table in the restaurant to go and see a man about a dog.

25. put on the dog - to dress or entertain in a luxurious and extravagant manner -We put on the dog for my parents when they came to visit us.

26. rub (someone/someone's fur) the wrong way - to irritate someone (just as you would irritate a dog or cat if you rub their fur the wrong way) -The woman who I work with rubs me the wrong way when I speak to her.

27. see a man about a dog - to leave for some unmentioned purpose (often to go to the washroom) -I left the table in the restaurant to go and see a man about a dog.

28. a shaggy dog story - a long and often pointless story that is told as a joke and often ends in a very silly or unexpected way -My friend told me a shaggy dog story about how he lost his bicycle. one's tail between one`s legs - feeling beaten or humiliated (like a frightened or defeated dog as it walks away) -The man left the meeting with his tail between his legs after he was criticized by the company president. the tail wagging the dog -a situation where a small part controls the whole thing -When the small group of managers began to run the large company, it was like the tail wagging the dog. top dog - the most important person in an organization -My uncle is the top dog in his company. turn tail - to run away from trouble or danger -We decided to turn tail and leave the restaurant before there was an argument. you can't teach an old dog new tricks - it is difficult for older people to learn new things -You can't teach an old dog new tricks and I don't think that my father will ever change his eating habits.

29. a shaggy dog story - a long and often pointless story that is told as a joke and often ends in a very silly or unexpected way -My friend told me a shaggy dog story about how he lost his bicycle

30. one's tail between one`s legs - feeling beaten or humiliated (like a frightened or defeated dog as it walks away) -The man left the meeting with his tail between his legs after he was criticized by the company president.

31. the tail wagging the dog -a situation where a small part controls the whole thing -When the small group of managers began to run the large company, it was like the tail wagging the dog.

32. top dog - the most important person in an organization -My uncle is the top dog in his company.

33. turn tail to run away from trouble or danger -We decided to turn tail and leave the restaurant before there was an argument.

34. you can't teach an old dog new tricks it is difficult for older people to learn new things -You can't teach an old dog new tricks and I don't think that my father will ever change his eating habits.