Dainty Dose of Delightful Information

[Visalakshi Ramani]

Share:

Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn WhatsApp Email Share Link

An idiom is a phrase in which the words put together have a meaning that is

entirely different from the dictionary definitions of the individual words involved.

Idioms are numerous and can be outright funny or even philosophical in nature.

The idioms involving animals are humorous and numerous.

They often reflect several human traits we find in people around us.

Let us take a peek into the lively world of animal related idioms first.

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

1. An 800 pound gorilla ....This refers to an invincible force in any industry.

2. Bull in a china shop...Clumsy and noisy behavior when one ought to be more careful and quiet.

3. Mad as a wet hen...When a person becomes hopping mad for real or imaginary reasons

4. Lower than a snake's belly...Very low when viewed according to the existing moral standards.

5. On the hoof...responding to stimuli as they happen, without prior planning

to be continued...

 

[DR.C.NARAYANI]

Hello VR Mam ,I am happy to see this OP, 01..TO HEAR SOME THING FROM THE HORSE S MOUTH ....TO HEAR FROM THE AUTHORITATIVE SOURCE. 02..ITS RAINING CATS AND DOGS...ITS RAINING VERY HEAVILY.. 03... TO BE LIKE A BEAR WITH A SORE HEAD ...TO BE IN A BAD MOOD... 04. BARKING UP THE WRONG TREE ...TO MAKE A WRONG CHOICE OR TO ASK A WRONG PERSON.

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

Idioms form a vast ocean. :bump2:

We will explore it together! :grouphug:

 

[mskmoorthy]

Learnt while solving A crossword puzzle. Idioms with animals.

1) wolf down Devour

2) monkey around Waste time playfully

3) pony up Pay what's due

4) pig out Eat, eat, eat

5) squirrel away Hoard

6) bear upon Pertain to

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

Learnt while solving A crossword puzzle. Idioms with animals.

1) wolf down Devour

2) monkey around Waste time playfully

3) pony up Pay what's due

4) pig out Eat, eat, eat

5) squirrel away Hoard

6) bear upon Pertain to

How well these idioms highlight and underline the

outstanding tendencies of the animals involved!!! :clap2:

Thank you for your valuable contributions sir!

 

[BostonSankara]

The "800 lbs Gorilla in the room." is also meant to mean something that is blatantly obvious but which no one will speak about. For example you are in an elevator having a discussion with a friend and a stranger passes gas. You nor your friend want to even aknowledge the reality of what just occured so you pretend it never even happened. That is an 800 lbs. gorilla in the room as well! Maybe figuratively AND literally!

:bolt:

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

The "800 lbs Gorilla in the room." is also meant to mean something that is blatantly obvious but which no one will speak about. For example you are in an elevator having a discussion with a friend and a stranger passes gas. You nor your friend want to even aknowledge the reality of what just occured so you pretend it never even happened. That is an 800 lbs. gorilla in the room as well! Maybe figuratively AND literally!

:bolt:

What a tight spot to be in! :scared:

An enclosed elevator...

a 800lbs gorilla....

passing gas...

You can react only if :shocked:
you don't pass out first.:faint:

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

6. Ants in your pants
If someone has ants in his pants, he /she is wildly agitated or excited about something.

7. Beating a dead horse
Beating a dead horse will not make it do any more work. So this denoted futile efforts.
If someone is trying to convince people without any hope of success, he is beating a dead horse.

8. Cat nap
A short sleep during the day.

9. Crocodile tears
When people pretend to be badly upset or affected by something.

10. Cry wolf!
Raising a false alarm about something non-existing.

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

Personal Space.



Personal space is similar to an invisible bubble surrounding you. When a person moves so close as to compress your personal bubble of space, you feel uncomfortable and challenged.

Every one’s personal space is different. How closely you stand to a person while talking to him or her, depends on whether the person is a stranger, an acquaintance, a friend, a sibling, a parent or a lover!

The better we know a person, smaller will be the size of the bubble. The bubble is larger for casual acquaintances and largest for perfect strangers. The bubble is larger for two men than for two women. The size of the bubble also depends on the different cultures.

When two people have an argument, the first thing they do is to move closer, invading each others personal space. This is called “getting in some one’s face”. People demand to “have an elbow room” to feel free and not suffocated.

Edward. T. Hall studied the personal spaces between all combination of people and here are his findings.

Intimate space is one and a half feet or less. Personal space is 4 feet. Social space is 12 feet and public space is 25 feet. No wonder the podium of the speakers is far away from the audience. If the crowd of strangers were to be placed nearer, the speaker himself would feel challenged by the audience.

At times we are not able to maintain the personal space. When we are in a crowded lift or train or bus, we have to be nearer than this space limit. But we look away from the people standing near to us, so that we won’t appear aggressive or nosy!

Visalakshi Ramani

I am sure the highlighted paragraph explains why 800 pound gorillas become absolutely necessary in everyday life!

 

[prasad1]

An American friend went to China, and on return her complain was that "Chinese do not understand the personal space".
My question to her was it only in big cities or was it true in smaller places too. She said it was in all places.
My point was that the space gets compressed in all crowded space, in any part of the world. During Christmas season even in NY city people push you. So it is factor of the crowd. But Americans do not understand that.

 

[BostonSankara]

Truly laughing out loud at this. You have such a solid sense of humor! Cheers to you!

What a tight spot to be in! :scared:

An enclosed elevator...

a 800lbs gorilla....

passing gas...

You can react only if :shocked:
you don't pass out first.:faint:

 

[renuka]

Personal Space.



Personal space is similar to an invisible bubble surrounding you. When a person moves so close as to compress your personal bubble of space, you feel uncomfortable and challenged.

Every one’s personal space is different. How closely you stand to a person while talking to him or her, depends on whether the person is a stranger, an acquaintance, a friend, a sibling, a parent or a lover!

The better we know a person, smaller will be the size of the bubble. The bubble is larger for casual acquaintances and largest for perfect strangers. The bubble is larger for two men than for two women. The size of the bubble also depends on the different cultures.

When two people have an argument, the first thing they do is to move closer, invading each others personal space. This is called “getting in some one’s face”. People demand to “have an elbow room” to feel free and not suffocated.

Edward. T. Hall studied the personal spaces between all combination of people and here are his findings.

Intimate space is one and a half feet or less. Personal space is 4 feet. Social space is 12 feet and public space is 25 feet. No wonder the podium of the speakers is far away from the audience. If the crowd of strangers were to be placed nearer, the speaker himself would feel challenged by the audience.

At times we are not able to maintain the personal space. When we are in a crowded lift or train or bus, we have to be nearer than this space limit. But we look away from the people standing near to us, so that we won’t appear aggressive or nosy!

Visalakshi Ramani

I am sure the highlighted paragraph explains why 800 pound gorillas become absolutely necessary in everyday life!

Talking about personal space...sometimes people do not seem to understand that after a week long of working seeing sick humans from day to night..weekends are personal time where one might prefer to be left alone.

But that's the time some might want to expect you to entertain their calls and also wanting to pay a visit.
So I tell them I will visit you..I will come to your house!LOL

So they are happy and I get my personal space of being left alone in my house.

So you see it's easier to visit others so that we don't have to play host.

Just spend some 30 mins and get away fast.


In life I feel I attend more funerals than weddings.

Cos you see marriage can take place more than once but death is only once in a lifetime.
So I don't miss funerals.

Each year Diwali time is the best time to close my house and get away to the beach!

 

[Amirtha]

1. Cathching tiger by the tail.

2. He is a lone wolf.

3. யானை வெண்கல கடையில் நுழைந்தாற்போல்.

4. எந்த புற்றில் எந்த பாம்பு இருக்குமோ?

Kind Regards.

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

1. Cathching tiger by the tail.

2. He is a lone wolf.

3. யானை வெண்கல கடையில் நுழைந்தாற்போல்.

4. எந்த புற்றில் எந்த பாம்பு இருக்குமோ?

Kind Regards.

Yes! True!!!

He who catches the tiger by its tail CAN neither hold on nor let go!!!
Serves him right for messing up with a tiger or a tigress!!!

Wolves usually operate in groups and not alone.
'Pack of wolves' is the usual expression unless
the wolf knows how to become an-one-man-army.

'All sound and no stuff' is best denoted by the 3.

'The clock of invisibility' (aka anonymity) is best denoted by 4.

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

Quotations are different from proverbs and idioms.

Quotations are the words spoken by very famous persons
whose names ring a bell in our minds, when we hear them.

Quotes by anonymous are no less great but unfortunately
they are from people whose names do not ring a bell in us!

That is precisely why quotation are given with the
names of the authors but proverbs and idioms are not.

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

11. To bell the cat
To perform a very difficult or an almost impossible task

12. Dog days
These are the very hot summer days

13. Bird brain
To have a bird brain is to be a stupid fool

14. Dead duck
This denotes a sure failure

15. Bull headed
A bull headed person is one who adamantly adheres to his views

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

Ref#13
Dear Renu,

You are right.

When people visit us we ...

1. Have to play the host.

2. Wait patiently for them to leave - if they are the backslapping, boisterous kind of people

3. Tidy up the house after they leave.

When we visit ...

1. Dress up neatly and go

2. Spend a few good moments (minutes) there

3. return to one's own sweet home fast.

Cool isn't it???

 

[Raji Ram]

According to me, playing host is

If our doors are open for guests 24 X 7 X 365 ...

1. We feel great to dress up neatly always!

2. We keep stock of all eatables ready to offer. Feel happy to feed them!

3. We keep the house clean, to get a good impression from the visitors!

4. Our circle of relatives and friends expands!

5. We save a lot on transport! (Sing. Chennai cabs are expensive now a days!)

6. Most important aspect: It improves our level of toleration!! :angel:

 

[prasad1]

According to me, playing host is

If our doors are open for guests 24 X 7 X 365 ...

1. We feel great to dress up neatly always!

2. We keep stock of all eatables ready to offer. Feel happy to feed them!

3. We keep the house clean, to get a good impression from the visitors!

4. Our circle of relatives and friends expands!

5. We save a lot on transport! (Sing. Chennai cabs are expensive now a days!)

6. Most important aspect: It improves our level of toleration!! :angel:

A little too far for me!!!! LOL

 

[Raji Ram]

A little too far for me!!!! LOL

No problem, Prasad Sir!
I shall give my address when you visit Sing. Chennai!! lane:

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

According to me, playing host is

If our doors are open for guests 24 X 7 X 365 ...

1. We feel great to dress up neatly always!

2. We keep stock of all eatables ready to offer. Feel happy to feed them!

3. We keep the house clean, to get a good impression from the visitors!

4. Our circle of relatives and friends expands!

5. We save a lot on transport! (Sing. Chennai cabs are expensive now a days!)

6. Most important aspect: It improves our level of toleration!! :angel:

Visiting friends and the list of good habits given above need not be mutually exclusive!

Saving travel expenditure may be the real reason for playing the perfect host!

I do not want to make the list of person to be tolerated any longer than it is now.

Thanks to the members of the 102 families in our apartment complex

(who have every kind of weird habits as well as unwelcome food habits)

with whom I have to adjust for peaceful coexistence.

 

[Raji Ram]

1. Visiting friends and the list of good habits given above need not be mutually exclusive!

2. Saving travel expenditure may be the real reason for playing the perfect host!.......

1. I did not say that they are mutually exclusive!
2. I have had a few 'white elephant' guests too! They are the more expensive than my travel... :car:

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

Elephant can be me of course!

But a white elephant??? :nono:

 

[vgane]

Some more animal idioms:
1. To back the wrong horse (Supporting the losing side---The billionaires who backed Romney)

2. To make a mountain of a mole hill (Making an issue big when it is actually a trivial issue)

3. A paper tiger (something threatening but actually ineffectual)

4. Serve as a guinea big (used for testing)

5. Cast pearls before swine (giving valuable stuff to those who cannot appreciate it)