Be careful of him; he's a wolf in sheep's clothing.
word origin — From Aesop's fable and the Bible (Matthew 7:15) — a dangerous predator disguised among gentle prey.
a wolf in sheep’s clothing, a little bird told me, curiosity killed the cat, let the cat out of the bag, monkey business: meanings and examples
Learn these 5 idioms from Idioms set 24. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.
a wolf in sheep’s clothing · idiom/ə wʊlf ɪn ʃips ˈkloʊðɪŋ/
a person who seems friendly but is actually bad
Be careful of him; he's a wolf in sheep's clothing.
Origin: From Aesop's fable and the Bible (Matthew 7:15) — a dangerous predator disguised among gentle prey.
a little bird told me · idiom/ə ˈlɪɾəl bɜrd toʊld mi/
used when you don’t want to reveal your source
A little bird told me that you're getting married soon!
Origin: From Ecclesiastes — protects the identity of an informant by attributing the news to a small flying messenger.
curiosity killed the cat · idiom/kjʊriˈɑsɪti kɪld ðə kæt/
being too curious can lead to trouble
Stop snooping around; curiosity killed the cat!
Origin: Older form was 'care killed the cat' from Shakespeare — modernized in 1890s to its current meaning.
let the cat out of the bag · idiom/lɛt ðə kæt aʊt əv ðə bæɡ/
to reveal a secret
He let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party.
Origin: From medieval markets — sellers tied piglets in bags, but a hidden cat would jump out, revealing fraud.
monkey business · idiom/ˈmʌŋki ˈbɪznəs/
mischievous or dishonest behavior
Stop all this monkey business and get to work!
Origin: An American expression from the 1880s — connecting monkeys' mischievous behavior to dishonest activities.