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Идиомы на тему Animals

• bet on the wrong horse
  выбирать неверный курс, "поставить не на ту лошадь"

  "I am sure you are betting on the wrong horse when you try to support that project."
• like a bat out of hell
  очень быстро, со всех ног, во весь опор

  The thief left the house like a bat out of hell.
• not enough room to swing a cat
  недостаточно места

  Let's not have a party at Mary's place; there is not enough room to swing a cat in her apartment.
• take the bull by the horns
  решительно взяться за дело, "взять быка за рога"

  Margaret decided to take the bull by the horns and ask Desmond if he was going to marry her.
• as fat as a pig
  жирный как свинья

  "If you go on eating as much as you do now, you'll be as fat as a pig."
• as sly as a fox
  хитрый как лиса

  Our neighbor Miss Cunning is as sly as a fox.
• as quiet as a mouse
  тихий как мышь, робкий

  The child was playing with her toys and was as quiet as a mouse.
• serve as a guinea pig
  быть подопытным кроликом

  "Is that a test you are going to perform? I don't want to serve as a guinea pig."
• as meek as a lamb
  послушный, кроткий как ягнёнок

  On the surface Kelly is as meek as a lamb, but I know that actually she is naughty and quarrelsome.
• you can lead a horse to water (but you can't make it drink)
  можно предоставить кому-либо возможность, но нельзя заставить делать что-либо силой

  Alec was given the opportunity to study at a community college, but he decided not to enter the college. Well, you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink.
• there is more than one way to skin a cat
  есть много способов добиться своего

  "How did you get your son to study so hard?" I asked my friend. "I disconnected the television set," she answered. "There's more than one way to skin a cat."
• straight from the horse's mouth
  услышать прямо из чьих-либо уст

  I heard the news about my friend's promotion straight from the horse's mouth.
• buy a pig in a poke
  купить кота в мешке

  You can buy a second-hand car, but it will be like buying a pig in a poke if you do not look at it properly first.
• until the cows come home
  бесконечно долго, допоздна

  We are going to throw a New Year's party and stay up until the cows come home.
• to hound (someone)
  подвергать гонениям, изводить кого-либо

  It seemed to Edna that the boss was hounding her, and she decided to quit her job.
• separate the sheep from the goats
  отделить более компетентных людей от менее компетентных, разделить на две группы

  I am not at all sure that joining the military is a good way to separate the men from the boys.
• play cat and mouse with (someone)
  дразнить, дурачить; "играть в кошки-мышки"

  "Please, stop playing cat and mouse with me; I want to know your intentions immediately."
• make a silk purse out of a sow's ear
  сделать что-либо из ничего

  You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear; the girl is not a good tennis player, so she won't be able to win in the competition.
• sacred cow
  кто-либо \ что-либо никогда не подвергающееся критике, "священная корова"

  The ideas of my boss are a sacred cow that should never be criticized or laughed at.
• as gruff as a bear
  грубый, неприветливый

  Oliver Schmidt is always as gruff as a bear, and most of his co-workers dislike him.
• curiosity killed the cat
  любопытство убило кошку (говорят о любопытном человеке)

  "Curiosity killed the cat," Leila's mother said, when she saw Leila hunting around in closets just before Christmas.
• horse around
  беситься, шуметь

  The children were horsing around in the back yard.
• copycat
  ученик, списывающий работу у другого; подражатель

  Alfred is only a copycat; he hasn't created anything of real value.
• as innocent as a lamb
  невинный, наивный

  Sara is as innocent as a lamb; she still believes that all people are kind and generous.
• straw that broke the camel's back
  переполнить чашу терпения

  Alan cheated on me again and it was the straw that broke the camel's back; I decided to break off with him.
• cry wolf
  поднять ложную тревогу

  David needn't have cried wolf; there was no real danger of fire in the house.
• wolf in sheep's clothing
  волк в овечьей шкуре

  Mrs. Parker trusted the lawyer until she understood that the man was a wolf in sheep's clothing.
• best-laid plans of mice and men
  хорошо продуманные планы

  Even the best-laid plans of mice and men cannot prevent you from misfortune.
• wolf down (something)
  есть, заглатывать что-либо с жадностью

  The boy hurriedly wolfed down his dinner and left the house.
• bright-eyed and bushy-tailed
  (быть) очень весёлым, полным радости

  The kids are bright-eyed and bushy-tailed because their mother has promised to take them to the zoo.
• monkey on one's back
  серьёзная, не решённая проблема

  I am not very good at math, and my math course is a real monkey on my back.
• hit the bulls-eye
  попасть в точку, в цель

  Samantha hit the bull's-eye when she spoke about the problems in the office.
• badger (someone)
  донимать кого-либо

  I was writing an essay and didn't like my little sister to badger me with her silly questions.
• have bats in one's belfry
  быть не в своём уме, "винтика не хватает"

  I think Molly has bats in her belfry; she always talks gibberish.
• work like a horse
  много работать, "работать как лошадь"

  My grandmother is very fond of gardening, and she works like a horse to make the garden look nice.