Are you aiming for a 7 or higher band in the speaking and writing tasks of the IELTS? You know your language knowledge and skills are good, but you just can’t figure out where you are lacking. We know what it could be, though. It might just be the lack of the right idioms and phrases!

Did you know you can use the names of animals to convey various things? This will polish your speaking and writing skills and help you achieve your target band. In this article, we will help you learn a few of these idioms.

What are these idioms?

1. Have a cow

Meaning: get extremely upset (often over something minor)

Sample Prompt:

When was the last time you got upset about something?

You should say:

What had happened?

Why did it upset you?

What did you do?

And how did you cheer yourself up after it?

How the idiom can be used?

“I had a cow when I came to know that, over and above the rejection of my ideas, I had also been removed from the core team.”

2. Cat nap (also called a power nap)

Meaning: a short sleep

Sample Prompt:

When was the last time you stayed up late?

You should say:

Why did you stay up?

What were you doing?

Did you enjoy it?

And whether there was someone to give you company?

How the idiom can be used?

“As I had taken a cat nap during the day, I didn’t feel very drowsy staying up late to complete the assignment.”

3. Chicken out

Meaning: to decide not to do something out of fear (usually just before)

Sample Prompt:

What is the boldest thing you have ever done?

You should say:

When did you do it?

What made you do it?

Whom did you do it with?

And how was the experience?

How the idiom can be used?

“I would have chickened out if my friends and family hadn’t been there to motivate me.”

4. Get the lion’s share

Meaning: get the greatest percentage

Sample Prompt:

Talk about a situation when you were late.

You should say:

What the event was

Why you were late

How did you feel about it

And explain how you handled the situation.

How the idiom can be used?

“I got the lion’s share of the blame for the hold-up as it was because of me that the meeting started late.”

5. Let the cat out of the bag

Meaning: reveal a secret

Sample Prompt:

Describe a party or event you recently attended.

You should say:

What the party was for

Who was the host

What was the best part about it

And what was your relationship with the host

How the idiom can be used?

“Even though Susan had let the cat out of the bag, it did not, in any way, make a difference to the fun we had!”

6. Make a beeline

Meaning: go straight for something

Sample Prompt:

Describe something that has become a fashion or status symbol recently.

You should say:

What the thing is

Why people are using it

Whether you have it or not

And explain what influence it has on people.

How the idiom can be used?

“It is so much in demand that everyone makes a beeline for it the minute they enter a store.”

7. Rat race

Meaning: fierce, competitive struggle for power, position, etc.

Sample Prompt:

Talk about a job you think is helping to make the world a better place.

You should say:

What the job is

How did you come to know about it

How do you think it is helping

And explain why you think it can make the world a better place.

How the idiom can be used?

“It’s such a respite coming across someone who is doing something like this in this rat race!”

8. The elephant in the room

Meaning: a problem or controversial issue that is too big to ignore, but that everyone tries to avoid talking about because it is embarrassing or will cause conflict

Sample Prompt:

Talk about a thing you purchased and haven’t used that much.

You should say:

What the item is

Where you purchased it from

Why you purchased it

And explain why you haven’t used it much.

How the idiom can be used?

“My mother had to finally address the elephant in the room to make me realize how I had wasted so much money on the product.”

9. Weasel out of something

Meaning: If a person “weasels out of” some responsibility, it means they abandon their responsibility or commitment in a way that is sneaky or cowardly.

Sample Prompt:

Talk about a job you think is helping to make the world a better place.

You should say:

What the job is

How did you come to know about it

How do you think it is helping

And explain why you think it can make the world a better place.

How the idiom can be used?

“It’s a good thing not all of us weasel out of our responsibility towards creating a better society.”

10. Let the sleeping dogs lie

Meaning: it means not to talk about things in the past that might cause problems if you mention them today.

Sample Prompt:

Describe an interesting conversation you had with someone you did not know.

You should say:

Who the person was

Where the conversation took place

What you talked about

And explain why you found the conversation interesting.

How the idiom can be used?

“Her attitude of letting the sleeping dogs lie and looking towards the brighter side of things is what made me admire her the most.”

Now try using them on your own by attempting the following exercises.

Vocabulary Exercises:

A. Fill in the gaps in the following sentence with idioms from the box.

make a beeline, chickened out, let sleeping dogs lie, get the lion’s share

As soon as the concert is over, we should __________ for the car.

My mom ________ from riding on the roller coaster once she realized how high it went.

Eventually, they decided it would be best to ____________ and not discuss the matter any further.

After his horrible behavior at the annual summit, his drinking problem is going to be ___________ at the Christmas party.

Technology ___________ of credit for most of the productivity.

B. Use an appropriate idiom for the following situations.

Your mother spent hours cleaning up every room in the house. Some guests came over for dinner the same day and stayed over for the night. Once they left the next morning, the house was not only in a mess but it was in a worse state than when it had been before she cleaned up. What idiom can be used to describe your mother’s feeling on seeing this mess?

Susan was on her way to reaching home. Her husband Adam had made plans for surprising her and taking her out for dinner once she came home. He knew she would take another hour or so to reach, and he had everything ready. So he decided to take a __________.

Sam had planned a big surprise for his wife Rose’s birthday. Only a few people, including his friend Adam, knew about his plans. He ran into Rose one day at the supermarket and accidentally _____________.

You have observed that many new people have been joining in the organization. But a lot of them are quitting too.