Learn some animal idioms at Bath City Farm with Bath City Language Coaching.

I went to Bath City Farm this week to look at the animals and help you learn some animal idioms. Bath City Farm is in Twerton, in the West of Bath, and is not a place that many tourists know about. Rather than visit the same old tourist attractions, take a 10-minute ride on the Number 5 bus and visit this peaceful farm where you will see some amazing views of the city of Bath.

Bath City Farm is free to enter, but they do ask for donations for the running of the site and the care of the animals there. One of the great things about the farm is that you can touch and feed the lovely animals. Cute, friendly goats will let you stroke them, and they may gently nibble your fingers, as they do in the video below. I can promise it does not hurt at all. Watch out for the white rabbit though. I stroke his nose and he bit my finger so hard that it bled. He may look cute, but it has a sharp bite.

You will also see a flock of dozy sheep that will let you approach them. They are so used to people walking across their field that they don’t mind you going up to them.

There are two beautiful miniature ponies on the site, too. They spend the entire day grazing in a field, and waiting for people to come up and pat or stroke them. There is something very calming about the interaction with these lovely creatures; no matter how sad or stressed you feel, ten minutes stroking their backs or muzzles will do your mental health the world of good. Doctors should prescribe Bath City Farm for their patients who are feeling low.

Ducks and chickens bathe in ponds or peck at food, and the sound of wild birds such as robins and magpies give Bath City Farm a mellow feeling that you won’t get in the busy parks and streets in central Bath. The air feels fresher and smells sweeter here, and if plants and flowers are your thing, there are plenty to see as you wander round the farm site.

You will see a couple of friendly pigs, who at the time of writing this have no names – you can contact Bath City Farm by email with suggestions as to what they should be called. The last time I visited, one of the pigs was lazing in a pool of mud (and probably its own pooh) and as I approached, it stood up and shook itself so briskly that I got splashed with the brown stuff. So, it’s best not to go in your favourite smart shirt. A pair of walking shoes is a good idea as well.

Walking across the horses’ field, you will come to a wood. Among the trees are tiny wooden doors that magical fairies use to hide from passers-by. Take a stroll and see how many you can spot. The wood is also a fabulous place to have a picnic.

Even the people who visit Bath City Farm seem friendlier than in the city; they will smile and greet you as you wind your way around the paths. There is also a nice little tea shop that sells smashing cakes that you can sit and eat as you gaze across towards the city.

So what about the animal idioms I was talking about earlier?

Sheep:

A group of sheep is called a flock. If people flock somewhere, they all head in the same direction in large numbers. For example, in the summer, people flock to the beach.

If you are looking or feeling sheepish, you are embarrassed or ashamed about something you have done. If you got caught by your mum stealing all the biscuits in your kitchen, you would probably have a sheepish look on your face.

Goats:

If something gets your goat, it really annoys you. Getting caught in rush hour traffic really gets my goat.

GOAT has also come to mean the Greatest Of All Time. Mohammad Ali is the GOAT when you think of famous boxers.

Ducks:

If you take like a duck to water, something seems natural and easy for you. My sister had never skateboarded before, but she took to it like a duck to water.

If something is like water off a duck’s back, it doesn’t worry you. We use it to talk about insults or criticisms. The comments the trolls left on my Facebook post were like water off a duck’s back.

Chickens:

Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched means don’t be too confident a plan will work. I am really confident that I have passed the job interview, but you never know so I’m not going to count my chickens before they are hatched.

Pigs:

I’ve had a pig of a day today. My computer broke down, I forgot my wife’s birthday and now she’s angry with me, and my football team lost the Cup Final. I’m sure you can guess what this means. *

Watch the video below for more pig idioms.

Ponies:

Aha! You will have to watch the video below!

There are plenty more animal idioms popular in English, and I have just scratched the surface. Notice I did not say it’s raining cats and dogs. That’s because nobody in the UK says it!

*By the way, my computer is OK, I’m not married, and I don’t like football.