Putting the Cat Among the Pigeons Quiz

Answer: Three legs

It's not anything to do with wings or beaks and ducks don't have horns so it can't be that, meaning the correct answer is the three legs of the duck. Wait a minute, ducks don't have three legs. This, though, is precisely what makes your achievement so noteworthy. Anyone can break one or two legs on a duck, but to break three takes a special talent.

A phrase often heard is, "il ne casse pas trois pattes à un canard" meaning "it doesn't break three legs on a duck" which tells you that your feat is nothing special or nothing to write home about.

Answer: Cat

The Japanese phrase, "Neko wo Kaburu" translates as "put a cat over one's head" and is used to describe someone pretending to be someone they are not or putting on airs.

Cats look cute, lovable and innocent, but are often sneaky creatures, far from innocent who can manipulate you into doing their bidding. Seems like a very apt phrase to me.

Answer: Very confused

I have to admit, I love this phrase, which translates as "like a cow standing before a new gate" and is used to describe someone who is very confused. German does have some great animal idioms, including "Das ist ein Katzensprung" meaning "that's a cat's jump", the English equivalent of which would be "it's a stone's throw away" and "Ich glaube, mein Schwein pfeift!", used to express disbelief at a tale, and translating as "I believe my pig is whistling!".

Answer: Butterflies

"Correre dietro alle farfalle" translates as "to run behind the butterflies" and is used when a person is chasing after something which is unachievable, or wasting time.

Another good Italian idiom is "siamo a cavallo" which translates as "we're on the horse" and can be confusing if said when there are no horses to be seen. It is used to express the feelings felt at having almost resolved a situation. How many times have you said "we're out of the woods" when nowhere near a tree, never mind a wood?

Answer: A cat

None seem a particularly pleasant animal to find in one's throat, but then again, neither does a frog. Cats are also used in place of spades in another popular French idiom. "appeler un Chat un Chat" which translates as "to call a cat a cat", which is used where English speakers would say, "to call a spade a spade".

Answer: Ants

While a Spanish speaker may exclaim "tengo un gato en mis pantalones" to explain their restlessness, an English speaker would be more likely to say they had "ants in their pants".

As with many of these idioms, neither seems appealing when taken literally, although I suppose it would be easier to get rid of a cat compared to multiple ants.

Answer: He's made the goat the gardener

This is another great example of a German idiom and displays such a sense of humour too. Other farm animals that appear in idioms are the cows such as in the German expression, "Ich bin keine Kuh, die man melken kann" which translates as "I am not a cow to be milked", used often when kids are asking parents for money and the French idiom, "mettre la charrue avant les boeufs" which means to put the plough before the cows and is the English equivalent of the phrase "putting the cart before the horse."

Answer: Donkey

Both the English and Spanish versions of the idiom have the same meaning, which is don't give the best stuff to the undeserving.

Another Spanish phrase worth remembering is, "más vale ser cabeza de ratón que cola de león" which translates as "It's more valuable to be a mouse's head than a lion's tail."

This phrase is a great way of explaining that it is better to be the head of something, no matter how small than the low man on the totem pole at a big operation.

Answer: Rabbit

The literal translation of the phrase is "to put a rabbit on someone". This phrase supposedly has its roots in the rabbit as a symbol of fertility and plenty, and the original meaning of 'poser un lapin' was not to pay someone for their favours, or more generally to leave without paying.

There is another school of thought however, that believes "lapin" is used in the phrase instead of a less family-friendly word.

Whichever is correct, the phrase has a much more poetic sound than "being stood up", although I guess phrasing is the least of your worries if someone has put a rabbit on you.

Answer: Even monkeys fall from trees

Simply translated, anybody can make a mistake. Hopefully I haven't fallen out of a tree though and you enjoyed the quiz.