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Idioms Referring To Animals Trivia Quiz

Many standing expressions and idioms refer to the more 'popular' animals, birds, etc. See which of these you can solve.

A multiple-choice quiz by flem-ish. Estimated time: 3 mins.

Author
flem-ish

Time
3 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
65,119

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
8 / 10

Plays
9440

Last 3 plays: Quizzist (10/10), runaway_drive (8/10), Nala2 (8/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. What animal has a very unpleasant and unhappy life, if we are to believe the English language? Hint

dog

elephant

cat

donkey

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Question 2 of 10

2. What animal's ears is a book said to have when, as a result of a lot of use, it has the pages turned down at the corners? Hint

donkey's ears

ass's ears

elephant's ears

dog's ears

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Question 3 of 10

3. Like what animal do you sleep when you have a short sleep during day-time? Hint

cat

hedgehog

dormouse

guinea-pig

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Question 4 of 10

4. Which bird's feet are considered by some to spoil the appearance of a pretty face? Hint

sparrow's

crow's

chicken's

duck's

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Question 5 of 10

5. What animal's eye do you try to hit in a game of darts? Hint

bull's

hawk's

eagle's

buffalo's

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Question 6 of 10

6. What type of cat played an important role in those times when corporal punishment was still a main ingredient of a good education? Hint

Siamese cat

Cheshire cat

cat o' nine tails

stray cat

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Question 7 of 10

7. What animal got in one of Aesop's fables by far the largest share, if not the totality of the booty? Hint

elephant

fox

lion

wolf

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Question 8 of 10

8. In much political controversy we tend to divide politicians in hardliners and softies. What is the animal name we give to the softies? Hint

wets

pigeons

doves

hawks

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Question 9 of 10

9. Among which creatures should you not put the cat? Hint

the chicks

the canaries

the mice

the pigeons

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Question 10 of 10

10. To what animal does the English language compare those who swallow their food like true gluttons, fast and without good manners? Hint

ape

ferret

fox

wolf

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. What animal has a very unpleasant and unhappy life, if we are to believe the English language?

Answer: dog

'A dog's life'. Being dressed up like 'a dog's dinner' is not too nice either. Neither is 'a dog's breakfast'.

2. What animal's ears is a book said to have when, as a result of a lot of use, it has the pages turned down at the corners?

Answer: dog's ears

Elephants' ears are certainly very sizeable. In Dutch the 'dogsears' become 'donkey's ears'. If you ask me, a bit too pointed for a description of what happens to corners of pages.

3. Like what animal do you sleep when you have a short sleep during day-time?

Answer: cat

'Catnap'! The hedgehog's 'wintersleep' is not exactly a short sleep. In Dutch the guineapig (marmot) is reputed to sleep like a top, but the English language seems to be unaware of the phenomenon. The dormouse (cp. French dormir= to sleep) is commonly thought to be a 'longsleeper'. A perpetually 'dormant' animal.

4. Which bird's feet are considered by some to spoil the appearance of a pretty face?

Answer: crow's

The little lines around the corners of a person's face, radiating out from near the eyes.

5. What animal's eye do you try to hit in a game of darts?

Answer: bull's

The old killing instinct is probably the real driving force behind a number of 'sports'.

6. What type of cat played an important role in those times when corporal punishment was still a main ingredient of a good education?

Answer: cat o' nine tails

The cat o' nine tails was used for judicial floggings rather than in schools. A Siamese cat is a short-haired cat with pale fur, darker ears, tail and feet, and blue eyes. Stray cats are probably not ideal educators. And the Cheshire cat ... well you can read about her in 'Alice in Wonderland'

7. What animal got in one of Aesop's fables by far the largest share, if not the totality of the booty?

Answer: lion

In Aesop's days there were not too many elephants around yet.

8. In much political controversy we tend to divide politicians in hardliners and softies. What is the animal name we give to the softies?

Answer: doves

Wets is not an animal name. It's the name given in Mrs Thatcher's days to those Conservatives who were - for her taste - too much like softies.

9. Among which creatures should you not put the cat?

Answer: the pigeons

In Flemish: 'to tie the cat on the bacon'. Or 'to put the cat near the jug of milk'.

10. To what animal does the English language compare those who swallow their food like true gluttons, fast and without good manners?

Answer: wolf

You can ape somebody. Ferret out some mystery. Outfox somebody who is less clever than you. But what gluttons do when they hurriedly gulp down their food, is sometimes called : to wolf it down.

Source: Author flem-ish

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor CellarDoor before going online.
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