Animal Idioms worksheet for learning and practicing common English phrases using animal imagery.

Let me work through this animal idioms worksheet step by step.

Part A: Completing the idioms with correct animal words

1. "to take the _______ by the horns" - This is "bull" (take the bull by the horns)
2. "to do the _______ work" - This is "donkey" (do the donkey work)
3. "to flog a dead _______" - This is "horse" (flog a dead horse)
4. "to keep the _______ from the door" - This is "wolf" (keep the wolf from the door)
5. "to let sleeping _______s lie" - This is "dog" (let sleeping dogs lie)
6. "to let the _______ out of the bag" - This is "cat" (let the cat out of the bag)
7. "to smell a _______" - This is "rat" (smell a rat)
8. "to have other/bigger _______ to fry" - This is "fish" (have bigger fish to fry)
9. "to have a _______ in your bonnet" - This is "bee" (have a bee in your bonnet)
10. "to make a _______'s ear of something" - This is "pig" (make a pig's ear of something)

Now matching with definitions:
- a: to ignore a problem because trying to deal with it could cause an even more difficult situation = let sleeping dogs lie (5)
- b: to talk and think a lot about something = have a bee in your bonnet (9)
- c: to do the hard boring part of a job or task = do the donkey work (2)
- d: to have more important or more interesting things to do = have bigger fish to fry (8)
- e: to face a difficult or dangerous situation directly and with courage = take the bull by the horns (1)
- f: to do something badly; to make a mess of something = make a pig's ear of something (10)
- g: to have enough money to avoid going hungry = keep the wolf from the door (4)
- h: to reveal a secret = let the cat out of the bag (6)
- i: to waste your effort by trying to do something that is no longer possible = flog a dead horse (3)
- j: to sense that something is wrong about a situation = smell a rat (7)

Matching pictures to numbers:
Looking at the animals shown:
- Rat = 7 (smell a rat)
- Cat = 6 (let the cat out of the bag)
- Horse = 3 (flog a dead horse)
- Pig = 10 (make a pig's ear)
- Bee = 9 (bee in your bonnet)
- Bull = 1 (take the bull by the horns)
- Fish = 8 (bigger fish to fry)
- Dog = 5 (let sleeping dogs lie)
- Wolf = 4 (keep the wolf from the door)
- Donkey = 2 (do the donkey work)

Part B: Complete sentences with correct animal idioms

1. As a student, he took an evening job to keep the wolf from the door.
2. He keeps trying to get it published but I think he is flogging a dead horse.
3. He made a pig's ear of that bookcase he was supposed to be making.
4. I thought about bringing up my concerns but decided instead to let sleeping dogs lie.
5. Our teacher has a bee in her bonnet about punctuation.
6. She decided to take the bull by the horns and try to solve the problem without any further delay.
7. She smelt/smelled a rat when her husband came home with lipstick on his collar.
8. We wanted the party to be a surprise, but he let the cat out of the bag.
9. We'll have to address that problem tomorrow. Right now we have bigger fish to fry.
10. Why should I do the donkey work while you sit around doing nothing?

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Final Answer:

PART A:
1. bull → e
2. donkey → c
3. horse → i
4. wolf → g
5. dog → a
6. cat → h
7. rat → j
8. fish → d
9. bee → b
10. pig → f

Picture numbers (left to right, top row): 7, 6, 3, 10, 9
Picture numbers (left to right, bottom row): 1, 8, 5, 4, 2

PART B:
1. keep the wolf from the door
2. is flogging a dead horse
3. made a pig's ear of
4. let sleeping dogs lie
5. has a bee in her bonnet
6. take the bull by the horns
7. smelt/smelled a rat
8. let the cat out of the bag
9. have bigger fish to fry
10. do the donkey work