Idioms with Birds

Please watch the video, the link is here.www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/radio/specials/1559_videoenglish_3/

 

1)as free as a bird- carefree, completely free

Sample Sentence e.g. She feels as free as a bird after breking apart from her boyfriend.

Turkish Equivalence: Kuş kadar özgür

 

2) wing it: to do the best in a situation that one is not prepared for

Sample Sentence e.g. We had not prepared for this war but we had to wing it on the frontispiece.

Turkish Equivalence: çırpınmak 

 

3)as bald as a coot: completely bald

Sample Sentence e.g. One friend of mine from high school was as bald as a coot.

Turkish Equivalence:  dazlak 

 

4)as crazy as a loon:  crazy

Sample Sentence e.g. One friend of mine from our class in the university is as crazy as a loon.

Turkish Equivalence:  mecnun olmak

 

5)as dead as a dodo:  dead, no longer in existence

Sample Sentence e.g.The man was as dead as a dodo after the fire caused by an old fuse.

 

Turkish Equivalence:Hakkın rahmetine kavuşmak

 

6) under the wings of (someone)- to be under the care/control/protection of someone

Sample Sentence e.g.The little child is now under the wings of the old woman.

Turkish Equivalence: birinin kanatları altında olmak 

 

7) an albatross around someone's neck: A problem that prevents someone from succeeding.

Sample Sentence e.g. The teeneger's lack of a driver's license was an albatross around his neck and prevented him from driving. 

Turkish Equivalence: ayağına bağ olmak

 

8)as graceful as a swan- very graceful

Sample Sentence e.g.The student on the special duty was as graceful as a swan.

Turkish Equivalence: alçakgönüllü olmak

 

9)as happy as a lark very happy and cheerful

Sample Sentence e.g.The girl was as happy as a lark when she saw her pass degree.

Turkish Equivalence: 

 

10)as hoarse as a crow- very hoarse

Sample Sentence e.g. Our music teacher was as hoarse as a crow but she supposed her sound was beautiful.

Turkish Equivalence: 

 

11)as mad as a wet hen- angry

Sample Sentence e.g.The teacher was as mad as a wet hen when the students were laughing her.

Turkish Equivalence: küplere binmek

 

12)as naked as a jaybird- naked

Sample Sentence e.g.The referee of the match became as naked as a jaybird when one of the players touched the ball with his hand.

Turkish Equivalence: 

 

13)as proud as a peacock- very proud, haughty

Sample Sentence e.g.The manager of the team was as proud as a peacock of his players.

Turkish Equivalence: 

 

14) as scarce as hen's teeth/scarcer than hen's teeth- very scarce or nonexistent

Sample Sentence e.g.  The girls like her in this world are as scarce as hen's teeth.

Turkish Equivalence: bulunmaz hint kumaşı

 

15) trying out one's wings- to try to do something that you have recently learned or become qualified to do

Sample Sentence e.g. She is thinking of opening a shop to try out my wings at marketing after she gratuates from academy.

Turkish Equivalence: 

 

16) as soft as down- very soft to the touch (down is the soft/fine feathers from a goose or duck)

Sample Sentence e.g.The coat of the girl was as soft as down.

Turkish Equivalence: kuş tüyü kadar yumuşak 

 

17)as the crow flies- by the most direct way, along a straight line between two places

Sample Sentence e.g.As the crow flies it is nearly sixty kilometers between Manisa and İzmir.

Turkish Equivalence: kuş uçuşu 

 

18)as wise as an owl- very wise

Sample Sentence e.g.Our teacher is as wise as an owl he can answer all kinds of questions.

Turkish Equivalence: Gün görmüş

 

 

19) talk turkey- to talk frankly, to talk business

Sample Sentence e.g. I called her because I thing it was time to talk turkey with her.

Turkish Equivalence: 

 

20) take (someone) under one's wings.- to begin to look after and care for a person

Sample Sentence e.g.The old woman took the young girl under her wings when her family died  in an accident.

Turkish Equivalence: birini kanatları altına almak 

 

21)bird brain- someone who you think is stupid

Sample Sentence e.g.The girl in my class is a bird brain and she cannot do anything properly.

Turkish Equivalence:  kuş beyinli 

 

22)a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush- something that is certain is better than something that is not certain

Sample Sentence e.g.you should content with this money bacause a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

Turkish Equivalence: eldeki bir kuş çalılıktaki ikisinden daha iyidir 

 

23)birds and the bees- the facts about sex and birth and life

Sample Sentence e.g.The children should be instructed about the birds and the bees in at school.

Turkish Equivalence: 

 

24)birds-eye view- a general view from above

Sample Sentence e.g. The manager went to the tribune to get a birds-eye view of the pitch.

Turkish Equivalence:  kuşbakışı 

 

25)birds of a feather flock together- people who are similar become friends or join together

Sample Sentence e.g. They are all same. Thet are always loughing. Birds of a feather flock together. They are just like that.

Turkish Equivalence: Bana arkadaşını söyle sana kim olduğunu söyleyeyim.

 

26)clip (someone`s) wings- to limit or hold someone back, to bring someone under control

Sample Sentence e.g. I think we should clip the teacher's wings as he is becoming too aggressive in lessons.

Turkish Equivalence: kanatlarını kesmek 

 

27) night owl- someone who likes to stay up very late at night

Sample Sentence e.g. I becomes a night owl in summer and do not sleep till four.

Turkish Equivalence: gece kuşu 

 

28) eat crow- to admit that you are mistaken or defeated

Sample Sentence e.g. The manager was abliged to eat crow after his wrong decisions in the last match.

Turkish Equivalence: tükürdüğünü yalamak

 

29)cold turkey- abruptly and without medical aid (used when someone stops taking addictive drugs or tries to stop a bad habit)

Sample Sentence e.g.The woman wants his husband to stop smoking cold turkey.

Turkish Equivalence: 

 

30) swan song- the last work or performance by an artist before death or retirement

Sample Sentence e.g.The Thespian's swan song was applouded by thousands of guests.

Turkish Equivalence: jubile yapmak

 

31) A bird of ill omeni indication of bad tidings, portent that bad things will happen 

Sample Sentence e.g The died of the old king was a bird of ill omeni for the kingdom.

Turkish Equivalence: kara kedi görmek

 

 

32) look like the cat that swallowed the canary- to look very self-satisfied, to look as if you have just had a great success

Sample Sentence e.g.The soccer looked like the cat that swallowed the canary after penalty shoot.

Turkish Equivalence: ciğer bulmuş kedi gibi sevinmek

 

33) spread one's wings- to begin to be independent and try new things

Sample Sentence e.g.My friend decided to spread his wings and went to a world tour.

Turkish Equivalence: kanat açmak 

 

34)eagle eye- an intently watchful eye

Sample Sentence e.g.The guard soldier had an eagle eye and he saw the enemy from miles away.

Turkish Equivalence: kartal gözlü 

 

35)early bird- someone who arrives someplace early or starts something early

Sample Sentence e.g.She must learn being an early bird if she wants to get this job.

Turkish Equivalence: 

 

36)the early bird catches the worm- a person who gets up early in the morning has the best chance of success

Sample Sentence e.g. My grandmother always says “the early bird catches the worm."

Turkish Equivalence: erken kalkan yol alır 

 

37) a little bird told me- something is learned from a mysterious and secret source who you do not want to name 

Sample Sentence e.g.A little bird told me that you escaped from school and went to cinema.   

Turkish Equivalence: küçük kuş bana söyledi 

 

38)eat like a bird- to eat very little

Sample Sentence e.g.The girl will die from hunger. She has been eating like a bird recently.

Turkish Equivalence: kuş kadar yemek 

 

39)feather in one`s cap- something to be proud of, an honor

Sample Sentence e.g.Winning the derby match was a feather in  the manager's cap.

Turkish Equivalence: gurur vermek

 

40)feather one`s nest- to look after one`s own financial interests - especially while holding public office

Sample Sentence e.g.The woman was feathering her nest for many years till she was married with a policeman.

Turkish Equivalence:

 

41)fly the coop- to escape, to leave (like a chicken escaping from a chicken coop)

Sample Sentence e.g.The robber attemped to fly the coop when he saw the police.

Turkish Equivalence: 

 

42)for the birds- not interesting, something that you do not like, worthless

Sample Sentence e.g.The lesson was for the birds so we did not go.

Turkish Equivalence: 

 

43)foul one's own nest- to harm one's own interests, to bring discredit to one's family

Sample Sentence e.g.I do not want to foul my own nest so I try to be very honest in all of my dealings with others.

Turkish Equivalence: 

 

44) as the crow flies- by the most direct way, along a straight line between two places

Sample Sentence e.g.As the crow flies it is about six kilometers between my house and downtown.

Turkish Equivalence: kuş uçuşu

 

 

45) be (strictly) for the birds (American & Australian, informal)

 

Sample Sentence e.g.if you think something is for the birds, you think it is stupid and has no use. Gambling, games of chance - that sort of thing is strictly for the birds.

Turkish Equivalence: bebek işi

 

46) rule the roost- to be the boss or manager somewhere but often at home (a roost is a place where birds can perch/sit)

Sample Sentence e.g.My grandfather ruled the roost in his family.

Turkish Equivalence: evin reisi olmak

 

47) ruffle (someone's) feathers- to upset or annoy someone

Sample Sentence e.g.I am usually very careful not to ruffle my supervisor's feathers.

Turkish Equivalence: kalbini kırmak

 

48) ruffle its feathers- a bird points its feathers outward

Sample Sentence e.g.The bird sat in the tree and ruffled its feathers.

Turkish Equivalence: 

 

49)in fine feather- in good humor

Sample Sentence e.g.Our teacher was in fine feather yesterday and we had an amusing lesson.

Turkish Equivalence: iyi gününde olmak

 

50) rare bird- someone who is unusual

Sample Sentence e.g.The man was a rare bird and he did not lough and talked during the dinner .

Turkish Equivalence: anka kuşu, fil dişi

 

 

51)kill two birds with one stone- to succeed in doing two things by only one action

Sample Sentence e.g. You should watch the film while eating so you can kill two birds with one stone."

Turkish Equivalence: bir taşla iki kuş vurmak 

 

52) pecking order the way that people are ranked in relation to each other

Sample Sentence e.g. The new demarch came to here new so he did not understand the pecking order.

Turkish Equivalence: 

 

53) watch (someone or something) like a hawk- to watch someone very carefully

Sample Sentence e.g.The soldier watched the man coming from outside og the city like a hawk.

Turkish Equivalence: şahin gibi izlemek 

 

54) neither fish nor fowl- something that does not belong to a definite group

Sample Sentence e.g. The old cemetery was neither fish nor fowl. All religions were there.

Turkish Equivalence: kamu malı olmak

 

55) flip/give someone the bird (American & Australian, very informal): to make a very impolite sign by raising your middle finger towards someone in order to show that you are angry with them.

Sample Sentence e.g: the spectators gave the referee the bird during the match.

 

Turkish Equivalence:

 

 

56) Feather in your cap: It is used whenever someone wins something. 

Sample Sentence e.g: You had a feather in your cap you wion the prize.

Turkish Equivalence: 

 

 

57) Bluebird of happiness: (It is used as an idiom rarely) It is the most universally accepted symbol of cheerfulness, happiness, prosperity, hearth and home, good health, new births, the renewal of springtime, etc 

Sample Sentence e.g: The Spaniards found bluebird of happiness on the land of Aztecs.

Turkish Equivalence: 

 

 

58) to sing like a canary: If someone sings like a canary, they tell everything they know about a crime or wrongdoing to the police or authorities. 

Sample Sentence e.g: One of the robber had to sing like a canary in the police station.

Turkish Equivalence: Bülbül gibi ötmek 

 

 

 

59) sing like a bird: to divulge secrets with little coercion 

Sample Sentence e.g: the little boy sing like a bird in the school about everthing

Turkish Equivalence: kuş gibi ötmek 

 

 

60) To do bird: to spent time in prison

Sample Sentence e.g: The lawyer did not allow him to do bird such a long time.

Turkish Equivalence: parmaklıklar arkasında kalmak

 

 

61) media vultures: the people who always want to be on agenda.

Sample Sentence e.g: We should not believe the media vultures

Turkish Equivalence:

 

 

62) Cuckoo: a crazy person

Sample Sentence e.g: I meet a cuckoo every day.

Turkish Equivalence: çılgın

 

 

63) Lark about: play boisterously

Sample Sentence e.g: Children watcing the movie larked about during the whole film.

Turkish Equivalence:

 

64)A sharp old bird: a person of a specified kind or character

Sample Sentence e.g: She is a sharp old bird.

Turkish Equivalence: eşi bulunmaz

 

65)the bird has flown: the person one is looking for has escaped or left.

Sample Sentence e.g: the teacher cannot find the little boy the bird has  flown.

Turkish Equivalence: Tiren çoktan kalktı

 

66)give someone the bird: boo or jeer at someone.

Sample Sentence e.g: The spectators gace the player the bird.

Turkish Equivalence:

 

67)have a bird: be very shocked or agitated.

Sample Sentence e.g:The little bird had a bird before the role playing.

Turkish Equivalence: şoke olmak

 

68)happy as a box of birds: joyful, very happy

Sample Sentence e.g: the children are are as happyas a box of birds.

Turkish Equivalence etekleri zil çalmak

 

69)had the bird: worn or broken

Sample Sentence e.g: the student had the bird when he saw the exam result.

Turkish Equivalence kalbi kırılmak

 

70)sitting in a cat bird seat: A person is sitting pretty or in a favored position.

Sample Sentence e.g: the girl sits in a cat bird seat durind the show.

Turkish Equivalence:  efendice oturmak

 

71)birds in their little nest agree: People who live together should try hard to get along peacefully.

Sample Sentence e.g: the room mates always argue eee it is said "bird in their little nest agree"

Turkish Equivalence:

 

72)fine feathers make fine birds: It's the details that make something good.

Sample Sentence e.g: details are important fine feathers make the fine bird

Turkish Equivalence:

 

73)bird dog: someone's buttock's

Sample Sentence e.g: he hit his bird dog

Turkish Equivalence:

 

74)It’s an ill bird that fouls its own nest: A condemnation of a person who vilifies his own family, country, etc.

Sample Sentence e.g:he is an ill bird that fouls its own nest.

Turkish Equivalence:

 

75)get the bird: Informal

a. to be fired or dismissed

b. (esp of a public performer) to be hissed at, booed, or derided

Sample Sentence e.g: after the accident he got the bird now he search for a new job.

Turkish Equivalence: defedilmek

 

76)like a bird: without resistance or difficulty.

Sample Sentence e.g:he can solve the problems like a bird

Turkish Equivalence: gözü kapalı yapmak

 

 

77)bird of passage: A person who moves from place to place.

Sample Sentence e.g: you moves a lot you are like a bird of passage.

Turkish Equivalence göçebe

 

78)bird of a different feather: A person who is free thinking and independent.

Sample Sentence e.g: the president is a bird of a different feather. he do not do what his assistants say.

Turkish Equivalence:

 

79)bird watcher:A person whose hobby is to study birds close-up in their outdoor home.

Sample Sentence e.g: he has nothing to do he is a bird watcher.

Turkish Equivalence:

 

 

 

babylon english dictionary

http://www.idiomconnection.com/birds.html#A

http://www.allwords.com/word-sing+like+a+bird.html

http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=81057

http://www.audioenglish.net/dictionary/lark_about.htm

http://www.elt-time.com/forum/index.php?topic=1323.0;imode

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/radio/specials/1559_videoenglish_3/

http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/b.html

http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/27/messages/213.html

http://www.eslall.com/learn_english_227.html

http://www.learn-english-today.com/idioms/idiom-categories/animal-idioms.htm

http://www.goenglish.com/Birds.asp

www.sky-net-eye.com/eng/dictionary/english/idioms/american/i_a/83-a-little-bird-told-me