IdiomDaily Life
English
Englishbe afraid of one's own shadow
Meaning: To be very timid and easily frightened.
Example: “Our new puppy is afraid of his own shadow.”
Origin: A creature startled by its own shadow jumps at nothing. The phrase is recorded in English from the 16th century.
Equivalents in other languages
Hebrew: לאכול סרטים (Le'ekhol sratim) Literally: To eat films
Chinese: 杯弓蛇影 (bēi gōng shé yǐng) Literally: Bow in the cup, snake in the reflection
More English idioms
- teach your grandmother to suck eggs To give advice to someone who knows far more than you.
- play into someone's hands To act in a way that unintentionally helps an opponent.
- make a hash of something To do something very badly.
- all hell breaks loose Chaos and disorder suddenly erupt.
- be put out to pasture To be retired or set aside as no longer useful.
- have all one's marbles To be of sound mind.
Explore another collection: False Friends
Words that look familiar in another language but mean something else entirely.
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