PRESENTATION ABOUT ANIMAL IDIOMS

DON'T HAVE A COW

Meaning: Calm down!; Don't get so excited!
It's origin is probably from the UK from the late 1950's. It's also used as a catch phrase on some of the Simpson shows.
The phrase used prior to Don't have a cow was Don't have kittens, meaning the same thing.
Example:  (The Simpsons.) Chill out, man! Don't have a cow! Aw, don't have a cow, Dad!



BUY PIG IN A POKE
Meaning:  to buy something without looking inside first.
It’s originating in the Late Middle Ages, when meat was scarce, but cats and dogs (puppies) were not. The scheme entailed the sale of a suckling pig in a poke (bag). The bag would actually contain a cat or dog (substantially less valuable as a source of meat), which was sold to the victim in an unopened bag. The French idiom acheter (un) chat en poche (to buy a cat in a bag) refers to an actual sale of this nature, as do many European equivalents, while the English expression refers to the appearance of the trick.
Example: If you don't get a good look at the engine of a used car before you buy it, you'll wind up buying a pig in a poke.





FREE AS A BIRD
Meaning: completely free to do what you want and without any worries.
This idiom is related to the freedom of the birds, because they are not tied and they can go wherever they want, they are animals that live in freedom.
Example:  She'd been travelling alone around the world for a year - free as a bird.

AS STUBBORN AS A MULE

'As stubborn as a mule' means to be very determined not to change your decision or opinion about something, even when it is wrong. 

The origin of this idiom is determined by the attitude of the animal. The mule is a stubborn animal by nature and that is why this expression is said. The equivalent in Spanish is ‘Eres más cabezón que una mula’, so it’s very similar.

Example:

- You won't get him to change his mind - he's as stubborn as a mule.

 
 

MONKEY SEE, MONKEY DO

‘Monkey see, monkey do’ means that someone imitates something that someone else does. 

The origin of this idiom is a saying in a pidgin-style that appeared in American culture in the early 1920s, and implied the act of mimicry. The equivalent in Spanish will be ‘culo veo, culo quiero’. 

Example:

- I don't let my children watch TV programs that show kids being disrespectful to their elders. I know what would happen if I did: monkey see, monkey do.

 A WOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING
 

‘A wolf in sheep’s clothing’ refers to a dangerous person pretending to be harmless. 

The origin of this idiom is biblical one. The phrase originates in a sermon by Jesus recorded in the Christian New Testament and it also might alluded to Aesop’s fables in Greek sources. The equivalent in Spanish will be ‘ser un lobo con piel de cordero’. 

Example:

- Be careful of that man. He is a wolf in sheep`s clothing. 

DOG DAYS

Meaning

Very hot days during July and August.

Origin

The origin of this idiom leads us to the ancient Romans who realized that the hottest days of the year coincided with the appearance of Sirius - the Dog Star, in the same part of the sky as the Sun. Sirius is the largest and brightest star in the Canis Major constellation.

The ancients believed that the star contributed to the heat of the day. The adjective Canicular means 'pertaining to Sirius', so Dog-days are also called Canicular days,

Example

• During the dog days of August, we go to the beach.

SMELL A RAT

Meaning 

A feeling that something is not quite right, or awry.

Origin

For centuries, the word smell has been used in a figurative sense to define someone who, because of their intuition, perceives something be off.

According to the Facts on File Encyclopedia of Word and Prase Origins, written by Robert Hendrickson, the origin for this idiom is uncertain, however, he explains a theory behind it might possibly involve a cat being able to smeel a rat nearby, despite not having sight of it. The idea is that after picking up a rat's scent, a cat perceives that something is not quite right, but without having vision of the rat; the cat is unable to confirm its feelings.

Example

• I smell a rat. There is something wrong with the new teacher.

MAKE A BEELINE

Meaning

Go directly towards.

Origin

This idiom derives from the behaviour of bees. When a forager bee finds a source of nectar it returns to the hive and communicates its location to the other bees, using a display calle the Waggle Dance. The other bees are then able to fly directly to the source of the nectar, that is, 'make a beeline' for it. This dance is a surpisingly sophisticated means of communication for a creature with such a small brain.

The phrase is American and al the early citations of it come fron the USA.

Example

• When she arrived at the hotel, she madre a beeline to the swimming pool.

 CAT GETS ONE'S TONGUE

Meaning :A comment made when someone is unaccountably or unusually quiet,       as in ``We haven't heard from you all morning—has the cat got your tongue?´´ The translation into Spanish would be: ¿Te ha comido la lengua el gato?
Origin: Often put as a question, this term originally was used mainly with a child who did something wrong and refused to answer any questions. Today it is used more generally to ask anyone to speak. [Mid-1800 s ]

BUTTERFLIES IN YOUR STOMACH

 Meaning: it means to feel very nervous, usually about something you are going to do, for example ``He is so cute, every time he turns and looks at me I get butterflies in my stomach.´´ The translation into Spanish is: ``sentir mariposas en el estómago.´´

Origin: The phrase ' a butterfly in [one's] stomach' was first found recorded in a 1908 edition of the Oxford English Dictionary, and while the plural form of the phrase probably was not long in following, it hasn't been officially traced to anytime before 1955. Butterflies, being the magnificently attractive creatures which they are, have become popular decorative motifs in most parts of the world in which butterflies are or have been known to be common. It is also interesting to note that some cultures have held that the human soul assumes the form of a butterfly after experiencing physical death, so it is probably very easy for some people to imagine their own souls quivering with excitement or nervousness when experiencing the sensation of 'butterflies in one's stomach'.

A LEOPARD CANNOT CHANGE ITS SPOTS

 Meaning:This idiom means that people cannot change basic aspects of their character, especially negative ones, as in `` He's a conservative, no matter what he says; the leopard cannot change its spots. ´´ The traslation into Spanish would be: ``aunque la mona se vista de seda, mona se queda´´

Origin: These metaphoric expressions both originated in an ancient Greek proverb that appears in the Bible (Jeremiah 13:23): “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?” It was first recorded in English in 1546.

( CLICK THE TITLE) Hot Potato Exercise

VERY IMPORTANT: CLICK THE TITLE (HOT POTATO) AND THEN, YOU WILL SEE THE DEFINITION OF EACH WORD

COMPLETE THE GAP

Gap-fill exercise

Fill in all the gaps, then press "Check" to check your answers. Use the "Hint" button to get a free letter if an answer is giving you trouble. You can also click on the "[?]" button to get a clue. Note that you will lose points if you ask for hints or clues! Good luck!

1- This is an important day, are you nervous? -Yes, I am. I'm having .
2-I've tried to change my opinion, but you know, a can't change its
3-If you are someone who will not listen to other people's advice and won't change their way of doing things, you are as a .
4-People in our town suspected that Henry was a , but I think they were wrong.
5- The of summer are here, and many people are feeling the heat.
6- means that you know instinctively that something is wrong or that someone is lying to you.
7-You can buy the used computer but it will be like if you do not look at it first.
8-I was as as a when I finished my final exam.
9-Do you like your new classmates? No, I don't like them. I'm really .
10- I was going to go sky diving, but I out at the last minute.