Goats pop up in plenty of English expressions, and some of them might surprise you! From feeling annoyed to describing determination, these goat idioms add colour and humour to everyday speech. Let’s take a look at some popular goat-related phrases and what they really mean.
What is a goat?
You all know what a goat is right? If not, I’ll tell you…
A goat is a farm animal with a beard and horns. They are mischievous animals and are farmed for milk and sometimes meat.
FUN FACT – A baby goat is called a ‘kid’ it’s the same slang term humans call children. Words which are spelt and pronounced the same but have different meanings are called homonyms.
goat idioms list
Goat idioms are used in everyday English to express emotions, behaviour, or personality traits. These sayings often have funny or surprising meanings that don’t actually involve real goats! Here’s a list of popular goat idioms, their meanings, and how you can use them in sentences.
act like a goat
meaning: to behave in a silly, playful, or foolish way. It’s usually said in a light-hearted or teasing way when someone is joking around or not being serious.
examples:
- Don’t act like a goat, we’re in public!
- The kids were acting like goats, jumping around and laughing non-stop.
- He always acts like a goat when he’s trying to make everyone laugh.
get one’s goat
meaning: annoy or anger someone
example:
- It gets Mr. Harrison’s goat if you arrive late.
- It really gets my goat when people talk loudly on the phone in public.
- Her constant complaining is starting to get my goat.
GOAT
meaning: Greatest Of All Time
examples:
- Serena Williams is the GOAT of women’s tennis.
- That album proves he’s the GOAT of hip-hop.
- That chef is the GOAT of Italian cuisine.
scapegoat
meaning: a person who is blamed for the mistakes or faults of others
examples:
- The manager used Tom as a scapegoat for the project’s failure, even though it was a team effort.
- When the experiment went wrong, the scientists unfairly made the newest intern the scapegoat.
- She felt like a scapegoat after being blamed for the argument she didn’t start.
separate the sheep from the goats
meaning: decide from a group which is good, and which is bad
example:
- We have a training session tomorrow. Coach wants to separate the sheep from the goats.
- Exams are designed to separate the sheep from the goats.
- When the team faced real pressure, it separated the sheep from the goats.
You can download a table of goat idioms and sayings below.
If you’ve enjoyed this page, don’t forget to check out some more animal idioms by clicking on the links below.