Animal Idioms trivia
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Animal Idioms Mini Quiz
Test your knowledge with these top questions!
Which idiom means quitting a habit suddenly?
The term likely refers to the goosebumps and chills experienced during drug withdrawal, which resemble the skin of a cold, plucked turkey.
Which idiom tells a person to wait or slow down?
The expression originated in the 19th century and refers to the literal act of pulling back on a horse's reins to slow or stop its movement.
Which idiom describes a massive problem that people ignore?
The idiom is traced to Ivan Krylov's 1814 fable about a man who notices tiny insects in a museum but fails to see a giant elephant.
Which idiom means to reveal a secret accidentally?
The phrase likely refers to a medieval scam where a cat was substituted for a piglet in a bag. If the cat escaped, the seller's secret was revealed to the buyer.
Which idiom means a fake display of grief?
The idiom stems from an ancient belief that crocodiles weep while eating. In reality, they produce tears to lubricate their eyes, often while consuming prey.
Based on the belief that this reptile weeps while eating, what animal's "tears" describe fake grief?
In medieval markets, dishonest sellers might swap a valuable pig for a cheap cat; the secret was out once the buyer opened the bag.
When a predator takes the largest part of a hunt, what big cat's "share" describes the majority of something?
This cautionary advice appears in Cervantes' "Don Quixote," warning that a single accident could result in the loss of everything at once.
Because its dark wool was once worth less, what animal's "black" variety describes a family outcast?
This proverb likely refers to the ancient use of slingshots, where a highly skilled hunter could potentially strike multiple targets.
In a market scam where a pet replaced a pig in a sack, what animal is "let out of the bag" when a secret is told?
One theory suggests this idiom comes from seventeenth-century England, where heavy storms would wash stray animals through the city streets.
What animal's "white" variety describes a costly and useless gift, once given by kings to ruin their rivals?
The term "white elephant" likely comes from the ancient practice of monarchs giving these rare animals to courtiers they wished to financially ruin.