put the cat among the pigeons
To say or do something that suddenly causes trouble or a heated argument.
Example: Announcing the pay cuts really put the cat among the pigeons.
C222 words · Proficient
Animal Idioms vocabulary — C2
Animal idioms that carry a judgement as much as a meaning, with phrases like a red herring, a sacred cow and a snake oil salesman.
22 questions
Words in this set
22a snake oil salesman
Someone who dishonestly sells or promotes something worthless using false claims.
Example:
The investment adviser turned out to be nothing more than a snake oil salesman.
a red herring
Something that deliberately misleads or distracts attention from the real issue.
Example:
The witness's story turned out to be a red herring in the investigation.
let the fox guard the henhouse
To put someone in charge of protecting something that they are actually likely to damage or steal.
Example:
Hiring the rival firm's manager to audit us is letting the fox guard the henhouse.
a swan song
A person's final performance or achievement before they retire or stop something.
Example:
The concert turned out to be the singer's swan song.
eat crow
To be forced to admit, in an embarrassing way, that you were completely wrong.
Example:
After the results came in, the critics had to eat crow.
a sacred cow
An idea, tradition or institution that people are not allowed to question or criticize.
Example:
Reducing the marketing budget is a sacred cow nobody wants to touch.
a lame duck
A leader or official who has little power left, usually near the end of their time in office.
Example:
As a lame duck president, he struggled to pass new laws.
cast pearls before swine
To offer something valuable to people who cannot appreciate it.
Example:
Giving him good advice is like casting pearls before swine.
have a tiger by the tail
To be involved in something difficult or dangerous that has become too hard to stop or control.
Example:
Once we launched the campaign, we had a tiger by the tail.
a dog in the manger
Someone who stops others having what they cannot use themselves.
Example:
He kept the office locked like a dog in the manger for two years.
a viper in your bosom
Someone you have helped who then betrays you.
Example:
The deputy turned out to be a viper in your bosom.
the goose that lays the golden egg
Something that reliably produces value and must not be harmed.
Example:
Selling the workshop was killing the goose that lays the golden egg.
a white elephant
An expensive possession that is useless and hard to get rid of.
Example:
The new terminal became a white elephant within a decade.
a cat's paw
Someone used by another person to do their unpleasant work.
Example:
He was a cat's paw and seems never to have noticed.
a pig in a poke
Something bought without being examined first.
Example:
Buying at auction unseen is buying a pig in a poke.
beard the lion in his den
To confront a powerful person on their own ground.
Example:
She went to head office to beard the lion in his den.
the black dog
A period of deep depression.
Example:
The black dog kept him from the office for most of that winter.
a bear market
A period when prices are falling and confidence is low.
Example:
Nobody wanted to launch into a bear market.
a bull market
A period when prices are rising and confidence is high.
Example:
Everyone looks clever in a bull market.
horse trading
Hard bargaining with concessions on both sides.
Example:
Three days of horse trading produced a two-page agreement.
a sitting duck
Someone in an obvious position to be attacked.
Example:
Without a spokesperson they were a sitting duck all week.
