Twenty Idioms about Insects

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  1. a hive of activity – a place/situation where everyone is busy
  2. a flea in (someone’s) ear – an unwelcome idea or answer
  3. ants in your pants/antsy – agitated or restless due to nervousness or excitement
  4. as busy as a bee – very busy
  5. as gaudy as a butterfly – very gaudy
  6. as mad as a hornet – very angry
  7. as snug as a bug (in a rug) – very comfortable/cosy
  8. bee’s knees – an excellent person or thing, of the highest quality
  9. birds and the bees – a euphemism for the basic facts about reproduction as told to a child
  10. bug-eyed – with bulging eyes
  11. dropping like flies – dying or collapsing in large numbers, giving up on or pulling out of an endeavour
  12. fly in the ointment – a small problem which nonetheless spoils the whole plan
  13. fly on the wall – an unnoticed witness
  14. none of your beeswax – none of your business
  15. to bug someone – to annoy someone
  16. to have a bee in one’s bonnet – to be preoccupied/obsessed with something
  17. to have butterflies in one’s stomach – to feel nervous/anxious/excited in your stomach
  18. to make a beeline – to move swiftly and directly towards something or someone
  19. to put a bug in someone’s ear about something – to give someone a hint about something
  20. wouldn’t hurt a flea – wouldn’t hurt anyone or anything

If you enjoyed this post, why not check out our other articles about idioms?


04 Jun 2018
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One of the students has put in a huge amount of effort in completing Spellzone at least 3 times a week since his arrival with us in January. Looking at his scores after the latest GL testing, his standardised score has risen from 99 to 131. This is a truly phenomenal result. I just wanted to share the best result I have ever seen.

Terrie Penrose-Toms, Casterton College

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