ANIMAL IDIOMS
İngilizce'de hayvanlarla ilgili birçok deyimin yer aldığı buradaki derleme, Türkçe karşılıklar ve örnek tümceler eklenerek, üyelerimiz için özel olarak hazırlanmıştır. Hertürlü çoğaltma, yayın veya İnternet aracılığıyla dağıtım telif hakları tarafımca saklıdır. Kaynak göstermek koşuluyla, kurs ve okullarda eğitim amacıyla kullanılabilir: Emeğe saygı lütfen.
Level : Intermediate
to have ants in one's pants: to be unsettled, fidgety, hyperactive or to be in a state of anxiety or impatience / durduğu yerde duramamak, kıpır kıpır kıpırdanmak...
The little boy was always messing up his toys and knocking things off the table. It was as though he had ants in his pants!
She's had ants in her pants all week -- waiting for the exam results.
to badger someone: get someone to do something by making repeated pleas/demands or by bothering them / tebelleş olarak istediğini yaptırmak...
I really hate the way he keeps badgering me for all sorts of little stupid things.
eager beaver: a person who is always eager to work or do something extra / "çalışkan kunduz"...
She is a real eager beaver and I am sure she will do very well in this company.
to make a bee-line for: go in a straight line, take the shortest route / dosdoğru veya kestirmeden gitmek...
The first thing he does wherever we go is to make a bee-line for the bar.
a beehive of activity: a very busy place, a room full of working people, a place full of people "as busy as a bee" / arı kovanı gibi...
I've never seen a place like this before! It's a real beehive of activity, I should say!
to have a bee in one's bonnet: to be somewhat upset, over-worried and maybe a little angry, too, on a certain matter; or, to be a little "crazy" in general
Aunt Melahat was a little peculiar, to say the least; she was acting as if she had a bee in her bonnet most of the time...
A little bird told me: somebody (I won't tell you who) told me /"Küçük bir kuş bana dedi ki..."
"How did you know I had a row with my girlfriend?" "Oh, a little bird told me."
for the birds: 1) of poor quality or value; 2. foolish, nonsensical, only good enough for foolish or gullible people / 1. niteliksiz, değersiz; 2. saçma: "Ufak at da kuşlar da yesin" cinsinden...
I was very much impressed with the wedding ceremony itself, but the food was for the birds.
to kill two birds with one stone: get two objectives at one go, gain some additional advantage in attaining a goal / bir taşla iki kuş vurmak...
You got the contract on top of exposing the unethical maneuverings of the rival firm? Well, that's what I call killing two birds with one stone...
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush: having one is better than seeing many
Employer -- I hear that you're looking for a "better" job elsewhere; but, don't you forget that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
Birds of a feather flock together: People with similar interests and attitudes prefer sticking together / genellikle küçültücü anlamda (bazen de şaka yollu) kullanılır...
I am not surprised to hear that they enjoy one another's company (= arkadaşlık etmekten hoşlanıyorlar). After all, birds of a feather flock together...
"Look; the volleyball players are eating at the same table together, as always." Well, birds of a feather flock together."
The early bird gets the worm: the one who arrives first gets the reward, etc. / Erken kalkan yol alır, sona kalan dona kalır...
I want to get to the sale as early as possible. Remember that the early bird gets the worm!
to be bitten by the same bug: have the same interests or hobbies...
My cousin and I were bitten by the same bug. We're just crazy about boating and angling. [angling = oltacılık]
a bull in a china shop: a person who is rough and clumsy in a place where skill and care are necessary / sakar adam
Well, you were like a bull in a china shop after you had that last drink!
to take the bull by the horns: face dangers and difficulties without fear / tehlike ve güçlüklerin üstüne üstüne gitmek...
I'd say he's courageous to the point of idiocy. It seems he just likes to take the bull by the horns.
They decided to take the bull by the horns and started their preparations for an early experiment.
to hit the bull's-eye: to hit the target / hedefi onikiden vurmak...
I knew I'd hit the bull's-eye when I saw how restless she was getting. I was sure a had a clue now I could follow...
the straw that breaks the camel's back: a small problem that comes on top of all other troubles and makes it all too much to put up with / bardağı taşıran damla...
The boss accused me of not caring to work hard enough and that was the straw that broke the camel's back! I've made up my mind now: I'll change jobs.
alley cat: stray cat / sokak kedisi
The children began to feed an alley cat they found in the neighbourhood and now it comes here to get his share every day...
Cat got your tongue?: Why don't you speak up? Why don't you say something? Why don't you answer me / Dilini kedi mi kaptı?..
What's the matter with you? Cat got your tongue?
to look like the cat that (veya, who) swallowed the canary: have an extremely self-satisfied expression / yüzünde kendinden ve halinden son derece mutlu, yenilerde büyük bir başarı elde etmiş ifadesi olmak...
He returned three days later, grinning like the cat that swallowed the canary.
"You look like the cat that swallowed the canary," said I. "What has happened here?"
The cat's out of the bag: the secret has been told, people know the secret / sırlar ortalığa döküldü...
They all know about your affair with him. The cat's out of the bag.
to let the cat out of the bag: tell something that is supposed to be a secret
The vice president let the cat out of the bag when he began talking about their plans for the new department.
Curiosity killed the cat: too much curiosity will get you into trouble / Fazla meraklı olmak iyi değildir...
Don't ask so many questions. Remember, curiosity killed the cat.
My friend, in fact, didn't tell anyone that he was sick, but his wife let the cat out of the bag.
to play cat and mouse with someone: kedi fareyle oynar gibi oynamak (dalga geçmek, aptal durumuna düşürmek olabilir)
She's been playing a cat and mouse game with him with her incessant threats of breaking up their relationship.
Let's play a game of cat and mouse today again. No, you can't be the cat. You were the cat yesterday. Give someone else a chance for a change.
It's raining cats and dogs: raining hard, raining heavily / bardaktan boşalırcasına yağmur yağıyor...
It has been raining cats and dogs all day.
You must put on your raincoat, sweetheart. It's raining cats and dogs outside!
Don't count your chickens before they hatch: Do not expect all plans to be successful, wait until you get the final results...
I must say these sales figures are very encouraging, but we must resist counting our chickens before they hatch...
to talk until the cows come home: talk for a long time
Well, you can talk until the cows come home if you like; I will not change my mind.
a doggy bag: a bag or container for food you haven't been able to finish at a restaurant or café and want to take home with you / dışarda yemek yerken, bir kısmını eve götürmek için kullanacağınız herhangi bir kutu veya paket...
You don't have to force yourself to eat it up all; I'll ask for a doggy bag and we'll take it home for you.
to bark up the wrong tree: pick on the wrong person / yanlış adama çullanmak, yanlış adamı suçlamak...
Well, he is barking up the wrong tree. I wasn't even in the neighbourhood when whoever-he-is smashed up side mirror.
His bark is worse than his bite: "Havlayan köpek ısırmaz"...
You shouldn't really worry about her. Her bark is worse than her bite... In fact, she is quite a nice person deep in her heart.
dog-eat-dog: "kurtlar sofrası"...
"It is a dog-eat-dog world outside," said the worried father to his son.
in the doghouse: in disgrace or disfavor / gözden düşmüş veya cezalı durumda...
He is in the doghouse with his wife; apparently, he bet and lost all his money on horses last week.
to lead a dog's life: 1. to work hard without enjoying the due benefits... 2. try to please as much as one can and still be treated unkindly / sen de buna yaşamak mı diyorsun be kardeşim!
It used to be a real dog's life for casual labourers in this country until very recently. [casual labourer = vasıfsız işçi, geçici işçi]
The truth is, he has been leading a dog's life ever since he married that woman!..
Let sleeping dogs lie: 1. Do not raise issues and create problems, leave things alone / Meseleleri deşip problem yaratma; herkesi "uyandırma" şimdi... 2. Do not restart old conflicts / eski konuları açma, boşver...
We mustn't let anyone hear about our plans to cut down on the jobs. Let sleeping dogs lie.
I wanted to ask her what she thought of her ex-husband, but I figured it was better to let sleeping dogs lie.
gone to the dogs: not well maintained, in very poor condition / bakımsız kalmış, (gerçek veya mecazi anlamda) yıkık dökük, harabe haline gelmiş...
The whole country has gone to the dogs, I'm afraid, over the last two years of this government.
You can't teach an old dog new tricks: old dogs and old people alike do resist change or learning new things...
Our senior employees don't want to join our computer training program. As I always say: You can't teach an old dog new tricks.
for donkey's years: a very long time...
Hello! Where have you been? I haven't seen you for donkey's years.
eagle eyes: a person of keen vision and the ability to see tiny details at great distances; a person who can see details or errors / "kartal gözlü"...
We call him "Eagle Eyes"; he can spot enemy movements from enormous distances... [to spot = görmek ve yerini belirlemek]
a different kettle of fish: altogether different, no similarity at all / farklı birşey, tümüyle farklı...
Marijuana is not a psychedelic substance as such; It is a different kettle of fish entirely...
bigger fish to fry (other fish to fry): more important people to meet or do business with...
Don't waste your time with him. We must get bigger fish to fry.
to drink like a fish: consume large quantity or quantities of alcohol...
If her fiancé is coming along to your party, make sure you buy lots of beer. He drinks like a fish.
to fish for a compliment: drop the hint that one wants a compliment / kompliman işitmek istediği belli olmak, pohpohlanmak istemek...
Well, if he mentions sports cars, you can be certain that he's fishing for a compliment on his Jaguar.
to fish or cut bait: call for less talk and more action / Madem balık tutmuyorsun, bari biraz yem kes, kardeşim!...
You've been bragging about what a good cook you are. Well, it's time to fish or cut bait! Come on, you cook the dinner!
Fish and company stink after three days: fish should be eaten while it is fresh, and guests should not stay too long...
The best sign that a company director can have over the walls of his office is this: "Fish and company stink after three days!"
neither fish nor fowl: balık desem balık değil, kuş desem kuş değil...
To tell you the truth, our experiment produced results that were neither fish nor fowl.
something fishy: işin içinde bir tuhaflık var, biraz üçkağıt kokuyor...
I don't trust that man at all; there's something fishy about him and there's something fishy going on in his flat...
to drop like flies: die in great numbers...
Every time there was an outbreak of plague in the Middle Ages, people were dropping like flies.
a bar fly: a person who frequents bars and lounges...
Well, she made the mistake of getting married to a veritable bar fly. Every lira he earns he spends at the local. (the local = sürekli gidilen meyhane veya birahane -- eve en yakın olanı olmak zorunda değil)
a bar star: a girl who goes to bars to drink and find friends...
She was very well known as a bar star at Musti'nin Yeri...
to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs: lose or destroy the source of wealth / altın yumurta yumurtlayan tavuğu (İngilizce'de "kaz") kesmek...
The moral of the story was clear: Don't kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.
to ride herd on: watch closely and control / sıkı gözetim ve denetim altında tutmak...
He is the kind of boss who believes in riding herd on his employees so that he can get the jobs done in time.
to live high on/off the hog (ayrıca, eat high off the hog): have the best of everything, live in luxury...
If I win the lotto, we'll live high on the hog - in a stately mansion in Bodrum!
He has been living high off the hog since he changed jobs and moved to İstanbul.
road hog: trafikteki davranışları ile diğer sürücüleri rahatsız eden, özellikle de sanki bütün yol kendine aitmiş gibi davranan...
I think the authorities should take more measures to deal with road hogs especially on the motorways.
to change horses in midstream: make new plans or choose a new leader in the middle of an important activity / dereyi geçerken at değiştirmek...
Mr. Demirel very firmly believes that one shouldn't change horses in midstream.
to put the cart before the horse: do things in the wrong order, backwards, back to front / tersten başlamak, tersine iş yapmak...
Having your dessert before your dinner is like putting the cart before the horse.
I think that planning for our holidays before we make sure whether we'll have enough money for it would be putting the cart before the horse.
dark horse: a candidate little known to the general public / siyasette, kimsenin pek tanımadığı ve beklenmedik bir şekilde partisi tarafından aday gösterilen kimse...
Nobody really knew him and he was a dark horse in the presidential race until he began to appear on popular TV channels.
to eat like a horse: to eat a lot...
Your belly is already twice the size it ought to be and you still keep eating like a horse!
to get on one's high horse: behave in a haughty and arrogant way / kibirli, kendini beğenmiş, etrafa tepeden bakan tavırlar içinde olmak...
She is always getting on her high horse and telling people what to do.
to get off one's high horse: I wish that she would get off her high horse and begin to think about how other people feel about things.
to bet on the wrong horse: misread the future / yanlış ata oynamak...
Well, he never gets a decent promotion, because he's always betting on the wrong horse.
to horse around: behave or play in a rough or noisy play...
The teacher told the children to stop horsing around and get ready for class.
a horse of a different color: something totally separate and different / beklenmedik, bambaşka bir durum veya nesne...
Moving the company to a new location was a horse of a different color. It had never been mentioned in any of our staff meetings before.
horse sense: wisdom in making decisions / karar vermekte gösterilen sağduyu...
I wish he would display some horse sense and not always opt for the obviously wrong decisions.
horse trading: hard and skillful bargaining / sıkı ve başarılı pazarlık...
Well, to tell you the truth, we had to do a little horse trading, but we finally made a deal which was satisfactory for all sides.
to lock the barn door after the horse is gone: to take precautions when it is already too late / iş işten geçtikten sonra tedbir almak...
This is like locking the barn door after the horse is gone. You should have done it last week...
to look a gift horse in the mouth: complain if a gift is not perfect, be critical of or ungrateful for a gift / verilen bir hediyeyi beğenmemek, küçümsemek, dudak bükmek ("armağan atın dişlerini kontrol etmek" kavramından)...
It just shows you the kind of person he is. He shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth and should be quite happy that he got a present at all.
to beat a dead horse (veya, flog a dead horse): boş yere çabalamak ("ölmüş atı kırbaçlamak" kavramından)...
Hey, you're beating a dead horse. They won't refund your money.
straight from the horse's mouth: directly from the person who said it or did it; directly from the person from whom the news originated / asıl kaynak kişinin kendi ağzından...
I want to hear the whole story from her friend; I mean, straight from the horse's mouth.
I've heard straight from the horse's mouth that the company will be closing down two more branches next week.
you and the horse you rode in on: kendin ve bütün pılıpırtınla birlikte...
"You mean you want me to leave?" "Yeah, you and the horse you rode in on. Get going now!"
You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink: you can provide what they need but you cannot force them to use it...
Well, we put all the necessary details into our prospectus, but I wonder if they ever read it. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink, you know... ("Unless you salt his oats..." I might add!)
kangaroo court: (U.S.A) yasaların horlandığı veya yanlış uygulandığı, usulsüz ve yetkisiz mahkeme (bizde "racon kesme" veya "infaz" örnekleri pekçok görüldüğü üzere)...
It was decided in a kangaroo court that he would have to pay for the damages...
to knock smb. over with a feather: to surprise greatly...
When he told me he had married my ex-girlfriend, you could have knocked me over with a feather.
the lion's share: the largest part, the biggest piece / aslan payı...
I must really thank you for doing the lion's share of the work.
Well, he's the boss: He's sure to be given the lion's share of it...
to make a mountain out of a molehill: cause a big fuss about a small problem / meseleyi fazla büyütmek
It was an accident, you know. Come on, don't make a mountain out of a molehill.
monkey business: unethical activity, mischief, nonsense and foolishness / çapraşık işler veya saçma ve yaramazca davranışlar...
I've had enough of your monkey business. Just concentrate on your work, Okay?
"Let's go round my place for a cup of coffee." "Yes, but no monkey business, Okay?"
to get this monkey off one's back: stop a bad habit, get rid of a problem or a hang-up / kötü bir alışkanlık veya takıntıdan kendini kurtarmak...
I am very much aware that I must get some medical help with my drinking problems. I have to get this monkey off my back.
I'll be a monkey's uncle: "I cannot believe it, I must be dreaming... Somebody pinch me!" / İnanamıyorum, rüyadayım herhalde, biri beni çimdiklesin!...
Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle! I just can't believe my good luck...
as poor as a church mouse: very poor / kilise faresi kadar fakir...
I just can't understand her refusing your gift package. As far as I know the whole family is as poor as a church mouse.
(the world... etc) (be) one's oyster: i.e. with the talent and skill one has one can easily "conquer" the world = be very successful...
Let the expanding markets of Europe be your oyster. I'm sure you'll be a great success in your venture.
to ride piggyback: sitting or being carried on someone's back and shoulders
The boy was riding piggyback on his father's shoulders.
piggy bank: pig-shaped glass, porcelain or plastic container used for saving coins / kumbara...
On his seventh birthday, his daddy gave him a piggy bank and told him that he must save some money if he wanted a bicycle.
to buy a pig in a poke: buy something without seeing it or knowing if it will be satisfactory, a risk, a gamble, taking a chance / gözü kapalı alışveriş yapmak, görmeden almak, şansına almak...
Well, if you're going to pay for that car without giving it a try first, you're buying yourself a real pig in a poke.
You can buy things from that second-hand shop if you want to, but it will be like buying a pig in a poke -- you know what I mean?..
smell a rat: feel suspicion, feel that something is wrong, think that there must be something "fishy" / kuşkulanmak, burnuna pis kokular gelmek...
Why should he suddenly decide to leave the company? Frankly, I smell a rat there...
to rat out on: desert or betray someone / yüzüstü bırakmak, yardım etmesi gerektiği yerde sırtını çevirmek...
Many a time in the past he ratted out on his friends. Nobody wants to have him around any longer.
to rat on: to tell the police or the authorities; to tell on somebody, to squeal...
He won't rat on me. He wouldn't tell the teacher. He's my best friend...
rat race: rushing around in a busy, fast-paced and even confusing way of living that does not seem to have a purpose / delice koşuşturan bir yaşam temposu içinde...
I'm sick and tired of getting involved in this rat race day in day out. Yes, what a rat race it is, and I plan to quit as soon as I get the financial opportunity.
as drunk as a skunk: very drunk...
I'm not surprised that you don't remember a thing about last night. Why, you were as drunk as a skunk! ["why" sözcüğünün burada bir ünlem olarak kullanıldığına dikkat ediniz.]
as slow as a dead snail: unbeatable in slowness...
He may be a good writer, but he is as slow as a dead snail: only a paragraph or two each and every day!
blow snakes: (music) play great jazz, improvise creatively / özellikle caz müziğinde şahane doğaçlamalar yapmak...
You must go and hear him at the club. You'll see what "blowing snakes" really means!
to cast pearls before swine: waste something on someone who won't be thankful / "Eşek hoşaftan ne anlayacak ki..."
Buying her all that expensive stuff is like casting pearls before swine. She has no taste for that kind of thing.
tail between one's legs: kuyruğunu bacaklarının arasına kıstırmış olarak...
Getting a good scolding from the headmaster, the boys left the school grounds with tail between their legs.
to turn tail: run away from trouble or danger / arkasını dönüp kaçmak...
He'd rather turn tail and vanish if a fight is likely to break out.
a weasel word: vague or ambiguous word which is used intentionally / kontrat, poliçe, vb. belgelere yerleştirilen "küçük yazılar"...
If I were you, I'd show that contract to my lawyer first. I'm sure he'll be able to spot any weasel words.
a whale of a game: a very exciting game...
Galatasaray played the last qualifying match against Barcelona and it was a whale of a game.
a wild goose chase: a waste of time
Beach-combing with metal detectors is often a wild goose chase.
a wildcat strike: an unexpected and spontaneous strike
There was a wildcat strike at the factory and over a hundred workers walked off the job.
to throw someone to the wolves: send someone into danger without protection / kurtların önüne atmak
You must understand that I cannot throw my own brother to the wolves by sending him to talk to them about the matter.
a wolf in sheep's clothing: an evil person who makes himself appear innocent / kuzu kılığında bir kurt...
The hitchhiker appeared quite harmless to them; little did they know that he was a real wolf in sheep's clothing...
The wolf is at the door; The wolf is (comes) knocking: poverty is coming...
I'm afraid our losing you job means the wolf is at the door for us.
Then she lost her job at the grocery store And the wolf came knocking at the door.
to keep the wolf from the door: to keep away poverty; to prevent starvation, have sufficient to eat, prevent hunger...
They toiled all day long to keep the wolf from the door and to make both ends meet.
At this stage I am not earning enough to keep the wolf from the door. But I see my cheques growing and I know that if I keep working at it things will look different.
It's a zoo in (out, down, etc) there: It is a wild party, or people are behaving in a very strange or crazy manner...
Don't look right now, but it's a zoo out there. One of the employees is banging his head on the wall outside my office window.
It's a zoo in there. They're having a house-warming party and everyone seems to have unlocked their inner child.
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