List of animal idioms beginning with B and meanings
How does the list works?
There are 3 parts to each idioms the first part is what the idiom is, then an explanation of what it means and the last part is an example of how to use it in a sentence.
How do I use the list of animal idioms A to Z?
To use the list of idioms click on each letter of the alphabet to get the list of the animal idioms for that letter.
[ A ] [ B ] [ C ] [ D ] [ E ] [ F ] [ G ] [ H ] [ I ] [ J ] [ K ] [ L ] [ M ] [ N ] [ O ] [ P ] [ Q ] [ R ] [ S ] [ T ] [ U ] [ V ] [ W ] [ X ] [ Y ] [ Z ]
Animal idioms beginning with B
back the wrong horse
- to support someone or something that cannot or does not win or succeed
We backed the wrong horse when we supported the candidate for mayor.
badger (someone)
- to get someone to do something by repeated questions or by bothering them
I always have to badger my friend in order to make him return my computer games.
one's bark is worse than one's bite
- one's words are worse than one's actions
You should not worry about the secretary. 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.
beat a dead horse
- to continue fighting a battle that has been won, to continue to argue a point that has been settled
I was beating a dead horse when I was arguing with my boss.
the best-laid plans of mice and men
- the best thought-out plans that anyone can make
The best-laid plans of mice and men could not prevent our travel problems.
bet on the wrong horse
- to misread the future, to not choose the winning person or solution
The man is betting on the wrong horse if he supports the other city in their bid for the Olympic games.
better to be a live dog than a dead lion
- it is better to be a live coward than a dead hero (this is from Ecclesiastes in the Bible)
It is better to be a live dog than a dead lion so I walked away and did not try and fight with the man.
better to be the head of a dog than the tail of a lion
- it is better to be the leader of a small group than a follower of a bigger one
The young athlete always played for his hometown team rather than moving to a larger city with a bigger team. He thought that it was better to be the head of a dog than the tail of a lion.
the black sheep of the family
- the worst or the most unpopular or disliked member of a family
My cousin is the black sheep of the family and nobody likes to talk about him.
bright-eyed and bushy-tailed
- to be very cheerful and eager (like a squirrel with bright eyes and a bushy tail)
The children were bright-eyed and bushy-tailed when they woke up in the morning.
a bull in a china shop
- a tactless person who upsets others or upsets plans, a very clumsy person
The boy is like a bull in a china shop so you should be careful if you invite him to your house.
buy a pig in a poke
- to buy something without seeing it or knowing anything about it
You can buy the used computer but it will be like buying a pig in a poke if you do not look at it first.
by shank's mare
- by foot
I came to the meeting by shank's mare.
Lessons that are related to the exercise
To view any of the lessons below click on link.
Idioms human body English lesson
A to Z Idioms - list English phrases
Small List of idioms A - Z English phrases
Dictionary and how to use dictionaries
Click on the following link for the Online English dictionary - English lesson
