Animal Expressions R - S

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Here are some more animals to add to the list of expressions. See A - D, E - H, K - M and O - P.


Rat
Source: Matt Seymour on Unsplash 

Like a drowned rat is used to describe someone who is soaking wet and miserable.
  • It started pouring rain and I didn't have an umbrella. I got to the interview looking like a drowned rat.


Rabbit


If someone rabbits on (about sth), they talk too long about something that is not important or interesting.
  • He is always rabbiting on about the planets and the universe. I have no interest whatsover in astronomy.
If someone is like a rabbit (/deer) caught in the headlights, they are so frightened or nervous that they do not know what to do.
  • Every time they asked him a question he was like a rabbit caught in the headlights.


Sheep

Source: Sam Carter on Unsplash

If a group of people are like sheep, they all behave in the same way or all behave as they are told, and cannot or will not act independently.
  • You never used to see fathers pushing prams but nowadays they are all doing it. What is more, they all push the pram with one hand. They're like sheep. One or two do it and they all do the same.


Stag


A stag night / A stag party is for a man who is going to get married, to which only his male friends are invited. A hen night / A hen party is for a woman.
  • Tom invited all his friends to dinner and drinks at a fancy restaurant for his stag night. I was home by 1 a.m. His partner, Jane, went clubbing in Ibiza. Her hen party would have been much more fun.
Read and comment on this blog post on stag / hen parties in Andalusia.


Snail
If something happens at a snail's pace, it goes extremely slowly.
  • The roads were chock-a-block with traffic and we were travelling at a snail's pace for two hours.

What are your favourite expressions from above? Write some examples of your own.

Comments

Sir Joseph said…
Hi Graham,

I´m going to make my comment with Spanish sayings and although I know that you are fluent in Spanish I write them in Spanish too, to we can see its rhyme.

RAT
Water to rats and fellows with ties. (El agua para las ratas y los tíos con corbatas).
When the ship is sinking, all rats go away. (Cuando se está hundiendo el barco, salen todas las ratas).

RABBIT
If two dogs chase a rabbit and the ahead dog doesn´t catch it, so the hindmost dog less. (Si dos perros van persiguiendo un conejo y el de adelante no lo alcanza, pues el de atrás menos).
The quick rabbit doesn´t go far. The snail comes surely. (Conejo rápido no llega lejos. Tortuga llega segura).

SHEEP
A nation of sheeps originates a government of wolfs. (Una nación de ovejas, engendra un gobierno de lobos).
Stupid sheeps, where one goes, all go. (Ovejas bobas, donde va una, van todas).

STAG
The donkey which thinks is stag, as to jump it tumbles. El asno que se cree ciervo, al saltar se despeña).
Howling against the stag, it´s to waste voices and time. (Aullar contra el ciervo, es perder voces y tiempo).

SNAIL
The snail and unstable man, where they were born, there they die. El caracol y el hombre endeble, donde nacen mueren).
Tripes and snails it´s not the meal of gentlemen. (Callos y caracoles no es comida de señores).

See you.
Saturday, 06 November, 2021
Graham said…
Good afternoon Joseph,

I had never heard of any of these sayings but I suspect that many Spaniards will never have heard of them either. They are from another age. :D


I´m going to make my comment with Spanish sayings and although I know that you are fluent in Spanish I'll write them in Spanish too, so we can see how they rhyme.

RAT
Water is for rats and ties are for men. (El agua para las ratas y los tíos con corbatas). I like the word fellow but you'r much more likely to hear guy nowadays.
When the ship is sinking, all the rats leave / run away / escape / flee. (Cuando se está hundiendo el barco, salen todas las ratas).

RABBIT
If two dogs chase a rabbit and the dog in front doesn´t catch it, then the dog behind is even less likely to. (Si dos perros van persiguiendo un conejo y el de adelante no lo alcanza, pues el de atrás menos).
The quick rabbit doesn´t go far. The snail comes slowly but surely. (Conejo rápido no llega lejos. Tortuga llega segura).

SHEEP (irregular plural)
A nation of sheep leads to a government of wolves. (Una nación de ovejas, engendra un gobierno de lobos).
Stupid sheep, where one goes, all go. (Ovejas bobas, donde va una, van todas).

STAG
The donkey which thinks it is a stag, tumbles when it jumps. El asno que se cree ciervo, al saltar se despeña).
Howling at the stag, is to waste voices and time. (Aullar contra el ciervo, es perder voces y tiempo).

SNAIL
The snail and feeble man, die where they are born. El caracol y el hombre endeble, donde nacen mueren).
Tripes and snails is not the meal of gentlemen. (Callos y caracoles no es comida de señores).
Wednesday, 10 November, 2021
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