Animal expressions

[beri]

Could you give us French people some expressions with names of animals, so that we can vary our speaking, be them familiar, "normal" or elevated (<-- is that word appropriate?) ?

[lillabeth]

1. It's raining cats and dogs! = Il pleut à boire debout.

2. Stop monkeying around! = Arretes de faire le fou!

[Addyblue]

1. It's raining cats and dogs! = Il pleut à boire debout.

In France, we say "il pleut des cordes".

[Addyblue]

2. Stop monkeying around! = Arretes de faire le fou!

Arrête (no "s" in the imperative for -er verbs)

[valerie]

Il fait un froid de canard (It's very cold)
J'ai une faim de loup (I'm very hungry)
Il a un caractère de cochon / de chien (he is bad tempered)
C'est un âne bâté (He is stupid)
Il aime beaucoup papillonner (he loves changing hobby/girlfriend/job...)
Il l'a traité comme un chien (He has trated him very bad, humiliated him)

[Harek]

Hehehe, here's something:

you "wolf down" your food
you hit the "bull's eye"
you take "cat naps"
books have "dog ears"
Lol... that's all I can think of ..

[Harek]

He watches me like a hawk
Something's fishy
a lion's share
the early bird gets the worm
rabbit food
doggy bag
drunk as a skunk

[valerie]

Harek,

can you explain these phrases ?

[Harek]

Originally Posted by Harek

Hehehe, here's something:

you "wolf down" your food
you hit the "bull's eye"
you take "cat naps"
books have "dog ears"
Lol... that's all I can think of ..

Oh yeah, of course..

->wolf down means eat very quickly, like an animal
->hit the bull's eye - for example, when you are playing darts, the dart goes right in the center
->cat naps are really short naps during the day... you can also take a "power nap" before partying
->dog ears in books - you know how some pages in a book sometimes get folded down at the corners? Especially after much use? That's dog ears

Oh, and I forgot: "something's fishy" - something's not right, there must be a trick to it, someone is not telling you the truth, etc..

[Harek]

Originally Posted by Harek

He watches me like a hawk
Something's fishy
a lion's share
the early bird gets the worm
rabbit food
doggy bag
drunk as a skunk

Watching like a hawk - someone's watching your every move, it's as if you are his or her prey
lion's share - you get the biggest part of something, for example, if you are doing a task together with someone and you get most of the work, you get a lion's share
Early bird - it refers to the people who get there early (umm... like to a bookstore in September when the university starts and get what they want
Rabbit food - often you are making fun of someone, I think, when you say that - rabbit food refers to vegetables (food that isn't very filling)
Doggy bag - you ask the waiter in the restaurant to give you a doggy bag, i.e. to pack up your food that you weren't able to finish
Drunk as a skunk - well, very drunk

[beri]

yeah! there are funny ones!
any non-familiar ones now?

[Nerialka]

drunk as a skunk can be translate by "rond comme une queue de pelle" (very familiar expression, not to be used when your boss is around hehe )

Rusé comme un renard – Very cunning guy (fox's cunning?)

[VenusEnvy]

It's more fun than a barrel of monkeys.
It's lots of fun
He's a sly fox.
He's very cunning or clever
I have a memory like an elefant.
I can remember everything well
She's a dog.
She's very ugly.
That club is the cat's meow.
That club is very popular.
She's a scaredy cat.
She becomes frightened easily
A little bird told me.
I heard a rumor, but I don't want to tell you who told me
Don't have a cow!
Calm down!
I'm hungry as a bear.
I am very hungry
My friend eats like a bird.
My friend eats slowly, and only a tiny amount
I chickened out.
I was scared; I didn't go through with the action
I've been running around all day like a chicken with its head cut off!
I have been so busy all day
My brother and sister fight like cats and dogs.
My brother and sister fight constantly
That scary movie gave me goose bumps.
That movie made me scared; made me so scared that the hair on my body stood straight up
Don't rat on me, please.
Don't tell on me; don't inform someone against me (rapporter contre)
I smell a rat in here.
I feel as if something is wrong here

Maybe someone can help translating these in french.
Hope this helps, also.

[Nerialka]

He's a sly fox.
Il est rusé comme un renard

I have a memory like an elefant.
J'ai une mémoire d'éléphant

She's a dog.
Elle est laide comme un pou.

A little bird told me.
C'est mon petit doigt qui m'a dit que...

I'm hungry as a bear.
J'ai un faim de loup

My friend eats like a bird.
Mon ami(e) a un appétit d'oiseau

My brother and sister fight like cats and dogs.
Mon frère et ma soeur sont comme chiens et chats

That scary movie gave me goose bumps.
Ce film d'horreur m'a donné la chair de poule.

Don't rat on me, please.
Ne va pas le rapporter / Ne joue par aux rapporteurs

I smell a rat in here.
Y'a (Il y a) un os quelque part

[beri]

OR:
"il y a anguille sous roche"

[VenusEnvy]

Merci beaucoup pour l'aide, Nerialka.

[beri]

This forum roooooooooooooooooooooxxxxxxxxxxx!!

[beri]

Do any of you have MSN?
I think it could be really great to chat and improve our English/French skills!
I do : pasouioui @ hot mail . com

[Beverly]

Hi,
Is "straight from the horses mouth" the kind of expressions you are looking for?
Or don't count your chickens before the hatch....... let me know I have more

[kens]

Expressions that are similar in French and English:

Don't put the cart before the horse -- Ne mettez pas la charrue avant le boeuf
Let sleeping dogs lie -- Ne reveillez pas le chat qui dort
Take the bull by the horns -- Prendre le taureau par les cornes