Sow some seeds of doubt – create a situation in which someone is no longer sure whether they want to do something or no longer confident and optimistic about chances of success

A rat – abusive term usually addressed to a man who cheats on his partner

A bitch – (a very offensive term) a treacherous woman who insults others behind their backs, or a woman who is malicious or a bully

A silly cow – (a very offensive term) an insult referring to a stupid woman

Behave like animals – behave violently, aggressively, with no restraint over one’s reactions or physical needs

A swine – a term of offence implying dishonourable, disloyal behaviour

Fishy – suspicious

Teach one’s grandmother to suck eggs – try to each someone something that they know very well

Budding – developing and promising

Dog tired – very tired, exhausted

Twig - understand

When the cat’s away, the mice will play – when there is no supervision or control, people tend to stop working or do things that are forbidden

A fruitful effort – effort that brings results

Look for a needle in a haystack – try to find something which is impossible or very difficult to find

Be in clover – fare well, be in a situation when someone does things well and confidently and finds things easy

A silly ass – a stupid person, an idiot

An eager beaver – a person who is very willing to work, eager to make an effort and does even more than is expected of them

A broken reed – a weak person you cannot rely on because of circumstances

Lark about – enjoy oneself, do things for pleasure and leisure, possibly avoiding care and duty

A fly in the ointment – a person spoiling things, causing things to go wrong

The bee’s knees – a person or thing which performs its chosen function perfectly

Have a gander at something – have a look at it

Watchful as a hawk – extremely careful and paying attention

Make a pig’s ear of something – make a complete mess of something

Swan around – walk around looking superior and not having enough to do

No spring chicken – a person who is no longer young

Talk turkey – talk seriously, give facts, data, etc.

The only free cheese is in the mousetrap – a Russian proverb implying that nothing in life is for free and everything has its price, the English equivalent is ‘There’s no such thing as free lunch’

Make a dog’s breakfast of something – make a complete mess

Happy as a lark – very happy

Time and tide wait for no man – proverb which means that the forces of life and destiny are beyond human power

Fresh as a daisy – looking very fresh, not tired

Look like someone has been dragged through a hedge backwards – not look very good, have dishevelled hair / clothes

Birds of a feather flock together – people who have similar interests and things in common like each other’s company and often form teams working together

Turkeys voting for Christmas – do something which is not in your interest, something that may act against you

Busy as a bee – very busy, constantly occupied

Beetle about – be all over the place doing all kinds of odd jobs

Rock the boat – cause trouble

Clear as mud – unclear, not clear at all

Take the bull by the horns – face a difficult situation, try to do a difficult task

Make hay while the sun shines – take the opportunity when it still exists

Not to count one’s chickens before they are hatched – not to be too confident about a positive result of an action if the action hasn’t been completed yet, not to count on success if it is still doubtful

Run around like a headless chicken – run aimlessly and do things under pressure, struggle to do something without having a clear idea how to do it

You can’t swing a cat – there’s very little room, the place is overcrowded

Crow about something – boast about, talk a lot about something praising it extensively

You can’t teach an old dog new tricks – people who are no longer young are set in their ways and habits and reluctant to change their ways

Pecking order – hierarchy of privilege or status

What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander – people should be treated in the same way, everybody has equal rights

Pig oneself, pig out – eat a lot

Take the hair of the dog that bit you – if you have a hangover, you should have a little of the same drink you had the night before

Free as a bird – completely free

Reap what one has sown – take the consequences of one’s deeds

Make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear – try to make something good out of very bad material

Sink like a stone – disappear from view, be no longer popular, attractive or well-known