Bull in a China Shop | Common idioms

Here are some common idiomatic expressions in English. Each idiom is followed by its meaning. Example sentences are also given.

Bull in a china shop

This expression is used to refer to a person who causes damage in situations that need careful handling.

• Don’t let Mary handle your precious glassware. She is a bull in a china shop.

Eager beaver

An eager beaver is an enthusiastic person.

• Samuel is an eager beaver. He has limitless energy and a keen desire to learn.

Red rag to a bull

If something is a red rag to a bull, it is something that will cause an angry or violent reaction.

• She shouldn’t have abused him in front of his girlfriend. It was like a red rag to a bull.

Feather in one’s cap

A feather in one’s cap is an achievement that one can be proud of.

• He has many feathers in his cap. (= He has a lot of achievements to be proud of.)

Call the shots

When you call the shots, you are in complete charge of a situation.

• He may be the chairman of the company but he isn’t the one who calls the shots.

From the frying pan to the fire

To go from the frying pan to the fire is to go from a bad situation to a worse one.