The World of Human and non-Human Animals
The word "rabbit" has made its way into many idioms, phrases, and expressions, which are a fun and creative way to add colour and depth to language. Similes, metaphors and idioms with "rabbit" are often used to describe speed, agility, and fear. For example, the phrase "quick like a rabbit" / “quick like a bunny”... Continue Reading →
In English, the hare has inspired many metaphors and idioms over the centuries, reflecting its various qualities and associations. For instance, its legendary speed and agility gave rise to such expressions as: ‘quick as a hare,’ ‘as fast as a hare’ or ‘nimble as a hare.’ These phrases are commonly used to describe someone who... Continue Reading →
Ants are among the most extraordinary animals in the world – they are more ‘human’ than humans can imagine. Strangely enough, there are very few ‘ant idioms’ – in modern human languages. What is even more intriguing, ‘ant idioms’ in different languages emphasise opposite sides of “antness”. For example: English idioms with ants have an... Continue Reading →
As lions and tigers are so closely related, they can be cross-bred in zoos – to create ligers and tigons who possess, in different proportions, characteristics of both parents and are larger than either of them. Ligers Ligers are offspring of a lion and a tigress. Thanks to their parents, ligers are the largest cats... Continue Reading →
Tiger is powerful and fearless, courageous and ferocious. No wonder we have many similes, metaphors and idioms with ‘tiger’. ..
Tiger is the largest (and the strongest!) of the wild cat family. And these are not the only advantageous features of this majestic creature. With the largest brain compared to other cats, tigers are the most intelligent of all the big cats. They have a very good memory that is times better than other animals, including humans. ..
What humans have got wrong about octopuses What’s in a name? The word ‘octopus’ comes from Greek ὀκτώπους [októpus: oktō, eight + pous (gen. podos), foot] (via New Latin oktōpous), meaning ‘eight-footed’. Why ‘eight-footed’ and not ‘eight-legged’ / ‘eight-armed’ / ‘eight-handed’? Isn’t it more logical to call it ‘eight-limbed’?
Newspeak in action: Now we are told not to call pets ‘pets’. Ingrid Newkirk, the president of PETA, says that the word ‘pets’ is derogatory and suggests they are merely a ‘commodity’ or ‘decoration’: “Animals are not pets – they are not your cheap burglar alarm, or something which allows you to go out for... Continue Reading →
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