IdiomAnimals
English
Englishhave a bee in one's bonnet
Meaning: To be obsessed with one idea.
Example: “Dad has a bee in his bonnet about solar panels.”
Origin: A bee trapped under a hat would buzz relentlessly, which is what the idea does inside the head. An earlier form, "to have bees in one's head," is recorded in the 16th century; the bonnet appears in the 18th.
Equivalents in other languages
Italian: Avere un chiodo fisso Literally: To have a fixed nail
More English idioms
- put down roots To settle somewhere permanently.
- on tenterhooks In anxious suspense.
- start off on the wrong foot To begin something badly.
- take one's breath away To astonish someone with beauty or surprise.
- go away empty-handed To get nothing at all.
- on the ropes Close to defeat or collapse.
Explore another collection: Proverbs
Short sayings of timeless wisdom from more than 50 cultures, each with its meaning and origin.
- An occasion lost cannot be redeemed. Missed opportunities vanish permanently; time's passing erases chances that won't return.
- When old age is evil, youth can learn no good. A corrupt elder corrupts the next generation; moral decay flows downward through families…
- An old cat laps as much as a young kitten. Age doesn't diminish appetite or basic needs; elderly and young require similar sustenanc…
Keep exploring