chicken
or a rat
? What about a pig
or a bird
? In English, we have many expressions with animals. In this class, I will teach you other meanings of the words bird
, dog
, chicken
, fox
, weasel
, ass
, pig
, and bull
. I will also discuss the expressions pigsty
, pig-headed
, in the dog house
, deer in headlights
, elephant in the room
, night-owl
, and more. After watching, take the quiz to practice what you have learned.
85 COMMENTS
Hi Emma. Thank you for this wonderful lesson! I scored a full ten out of ten! Again thanks a lot!
Tank you Emma &
Tank you engvid
Thanks Emma, Great as always
Thank you Emma for the lessons.
Hi Emma!
Here in Brazil we have some expressions quite similar; but our country is big and it’s could be different to one place to another, even in the same state. I live in Rio de Janeiro. I’ll talk about some local animals expressions.
Dog, ass and pig have the same meaning (I think it’s universal!)
Weasel we don’t have it.
Chicken is the person unfaithful in a relationship or those who has sex with anybody.
Rat, here we usually use the expression “library rat” to book lover’s.
Deer in Rio today is calling for male friend. Can be offensive calling for homosexual male. And can be (for male) offensive calling in a strife.
Elephant we use in the expression “white elephant” to public buildings that are not useful purpose.
And finally, Owl is the best one, we use in the expression “Owl mom”, for careful mom.
Thanks!
“White elephant” has a similar meaning in English, too. It is often used to talk about expensive but useless projects. However, it can also be used for small, cheap, often silly or decorative objects. A “white elephant sale” is like a “yard sale” or “rummage sale”—a sale of cheap second-hand (not new) objects, often to raise money for charity, a church, etc. A “white elephant gift swap” usually happens around Christmastime. Everyone brings a small cheap gift. Someone can either unwrap a new gift, or “steal” a gift someone else has already opened.
Some recent examples:
Brisbane picked to host 2032 Olympics: “Brisbane said it already has 84% of stadiums and event venues in place to fit the IOC’s modern demand of avoiding excessive spending and potential white-elephant projects.”
Oakland’s white elephant sale goes online
How to have a virtual white elephant [gift exchange]
I think they are all said like in Brasil. Thanks Mr. Emma.
her is a nice teacher i am understand 90% her say and is good for me thanks
Really,I like vocabulary.
Thanks!! Was excelent
Emma , you are amazing as usual
Hi Emma, thank you for that…I got 9/10..hopefully I can do better in writing and speaking.
Emma questioned about meanings these words in our language. ‘Pig’ is a rude word in my language and the meaning equal English. ‘Ass’ is a less rude word (in meaning the animal :) ). ‘Rat’ has different meanings (We call so a thief who steal from friends or colleagues. Very negative meaning). We do not have analogs for English expressions ”Elephant’,’Dog’,’Chicken’,’Weasel’. For us these words mean the animals. ‘Deer’ has negative and funny meaning which absolutely different from English (because the deer has antlers(horns) ;) )
thank you my frand emma
I have 70
I stop lerrning for 5 yaers
Thank you so much Emma
i like a lot your class teacher, thanks
thank you very much Emma
This is my fist class. I’m love it Emma thks!
the lesson is very interesting, I also feel the way used the animal is the same vietnamese, special: the animals such as pig, dog, owl, rat. Thank Emma a lot
Thank you for help me.
Thank you teacher, Iam really appreciate that
It was fantistic. I had 9 marks among 10.
Thank you so much emma
Great lesson!!Thanks Emma ;)
I am not a chicken anymore but I am still a deer
Hi Emma, you are amazing as always. You teach your lessons very well or I understand you well. That’s why your pronunciation is very good and you explain it one by one. In our Turkish culture, animal names are associated with people in a positive or negative sense. For example, we sometimes call a bad person a ‘snake’. Meaning; I mean, it’s very sneaky and sneaky and can sting and kill you as a treacherous. Best regards
Great lessons, Emma thanks .you are the best.
thank you dear tutor, it is very helpful.
I got 3 score out of 10 aww HAHHA
Good lesson, some expression are similar to my country but others are new for me, hence I think are very useful on informal conversation.
Thank you
In my country people others stupid like a cow but they also say drink cow milk to smarter :)))))))))
I knew two of them. But now I know a lot more. Thank you mam.
We have dog (people who doing dirty things) , pig (stupid people) and checken not strong buttrying do what strong people doing when they know that they going to lose) lion are good People like strong smart
Nice job, Lady.
Thank you Emma. I’ve enjoy your class so much, You’re awesome.
so very good
Thanks Emma, great lesson.
hiemma ive learn a ot from you
THANKS 9/10
It’s very helpful. Thank you so much, Emma. 9/10
Thanks Emma
Emma you are a great teacher,
In vietnam people used the animal in the same meaning, the lessons is superb.Thank you Emma
Thank you Emma for the lessons.
10/10
Thank you Emma. 10/10
Hi Emma, these are very nice vocabs, so does the lesson too. A little bit sad, my score is 8/10. keep trying next time.
in my language a stupid people is like a jackass or chicken
I have got 9 correct out of 10.
I got ten correct out of ten, thanks for your class anyway. Your class is pretty much easy to be understood. Thanks again.
learning your course,I feel on the wall.I am not in the dog house.I can understand that you explain.
Thanks Emma I understood
Thanks Emma so much
Thanks so much Emma i got 10/10, your lessons are so good
Thank you Emma.
thank you so much for this wonderful free lesson
I got 10/10
thanks you
Thanks a lot Emma .
wow it was fun
thank u alot Emma
i love to learn english by your lessons.
Thanks Emma!
thanks teacher. It was a funny lesson. In Colombia we also use animal words to refer people in diferente situation. For example:
When you say a man is a dog, we talk about that person likes stay with two or more women, of course on the sly.
A person who afraid scary movies or new things to do is a chicken. I think that meaning of this word is around the world.
We always have rats in Colombia. Our politians always do things on the sly, they are a rats.
The other expresion like a deer in the headlights or elephant on the room are new for me and I find it very funny and interesting.
I got 8
Thank you very much
thank you.
thank you.
100%
i loved :) i´m learning many things with you thank you so much … >3
Thanks, Emma it was a good class.
thank you
thanks a lot Emma
Hi Emma thanks a lot for your helpful lessons, I am from Iraq here we are using the same expressions for Dod Pig, chicken, and rat as well, but the only difference is with an owl which is used for ominous guys
Thank you Emma
Hi Emma,
I am from Brazil, and in our culture if somebody say: “this girl is a cat”, it is means that she is a gorgeous girl. (ssrsrsr), and if somebody say that a man is a deer, it means that he is a homosexual man.
9/10! Good! In Chinese, the dog is a negative word also, but rat means smart, the pig is the same meaning!
Amazing lesson
Thanks for you 🌹🌷
thank you about that lesson!!!!
thanks emmmmmmmmma that lesson is very interesting
all the words are there in my language
10/10
Emma, thanks a lot for the episode!! :)
Thanks
We characterize animals, does anyone know how they caracterize humans.
Finally I found a program that will improve my level of English.
In Iraq when someone is late to do something and the remaining time is not enough, we call him trapped like a dog ,like Ali trapped like a dog
Thanks Emma, In Korea, pig mostly means fat, and other meanings are well just like lucky, rich. etc… rat means sly, weasel means same in English. chicken means stupid, it’s expressed to insult “you have a chicken head”