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Animal vocabulary 3

Words we use to talk about animals (elephant, dog, horse etc.) can also have other meanings, either on their own or as part of compound words, phrases or idioms.

elephant in the corner
a situation that no-one wants to talk about because it is awkward, difficult or embarrassing
I know talking to your teenagers about sex is embarrassing but if we want fewer teenage pregnancies, we have to deal with this elephant in the corner.

a white elephant
something that has cost a lot of money but which isn't useful
You paid how much for that white elephant? Are you mad?

have a memory like an elephant
able to remember things easily and for a long time
He was rude to her in a meeting 5 years ago. But she's got a memory like an elephant and she's never forgiven him or forgotten about it.

a fat cat
someone who has a lot of money, especially someone in charge of a company who has the power to increase their own salary
I see the city fat cats have awarded themselves more huge bonuses this year.

scaredy cat
(usually a child's expression) someone, especially a child, who is easily frightened or scared of things that aren't usually very frightening
Don't be such a scaredy cat. He's a friendly old dog. He won't bite you!

look like something the cat brought/dragged in
(informal)
look very untidy and dirty
What have you been doing in the garden? You look like something the cat dragged in.

top dog
(informal)
a person who is in a position of authority
With his new promotion he's now the top dog around here.

go to the dogs
something (for example, a business or country) or someone becomes much less successful than it was in the past
Bob's really gone to the dogs since he got divorced. He's not looking after himself properly at all these days.

let sleeping dogs lie
a warning that means someone shouldn't talk about a bad or negative situation that most people have already forgotten about
I told him to let sleeping dogs lie but he started talking about the huge losses we made years ago and then the boss was really angry with him.

dark horse
a person who keeps his or her interests or ideas secret, especially someone who has a surprising ability, talent or skill
Then she just got up and sang the most beautiful, haunting song I've ever heard. Who knew she was such a dark horse?

hobby horse
a subject that someone talks about frequently, usually for a long time (often about a subject that's boring to the other people listening)
She stupidly asked him about his new diet and then he was on his hobby horse for the next 20 minutes.

hold your horses
(informal)
used to tell someone to stop and consider their decision or opinion about something more carefully
Now, just hold your horses, there! Have you really thought about this properly?

making small talk
chatting, talking about unimportant things

tackled
dealt with or faced and solved a problem

implying
talking about an idea or feeling without saying it directly

harass
say things or behave in a way that annoys or upsets someone

tough
difficult