Bug idioms such as butterflies in your stomach and the bee’s knees are useful phrases to use if we want to speak English naturally. Using these expressions can make us communicate with people more effectively, so let’s practice these today.
Bug Idioms: What is actually considered a bug?
The definition of a bug is actually quite a narrow one, as you can see from the very informative Museum of New Zealand. But in general English conversational terms, a bug just means an insect. Most people would say that bugs create all kinds of emotions from fear and repulsion to joy. It really depends on the person. It stands to reason that because of this we have created hundreds of bug idioms in the English language. Let’s look at some of the more common ones today. Here is a full list, and then we will get into examples and meanings!
| Social butterfly | Can of worms | The worm turned |
| Butterflies in your stomach | Bug out | Like a moth to a flame |
| At a snail’s pace | Dropping like flies | Time flies |
| Busy as a bee | A fly on the wall | On the fly |
| Bee in your bonnet | Bees’ knees | Make a beeline |
| To bug someone | Wouldn’t hurt a fly | Snug as a bug in a rug |
| Ants in one’s pants | Buzzed | Buzz |
| Bug-eyed | Snail mail | Hornet’s nest |
| Bugbear | Birds and the bees | Barfly |
| Worm’s eye view | Travel bug | Buzz off |
| To be fly | Waspish | Knee-high to a grasshopper |
| What a creep | To bug someone | A fly in the ointment |
| Beetle-browed | Mind your own beeswax | The attention span of a gnat |
| Put a bug in your ear | Catch a bug | Bitten by the bug |
| A hive of activity | Pick up a bug | Have the travel bug |
Related: 20 Cat Idioms: Use Them To Better Your Communication Skills!
Social butterfly
The butterfly is one of the most beautiful insects there are. A social butterfly is someone who is confident and natural in social situations. They would not get nervous or stressed out at a party, new social situation, or a presentation. This is the prettiest of our bug idioms, for sure!
Social butterfly sentence: Emma is truly a social butterfly. She is always going out to parties or hanging out with friends.
Can of worms: One of our slimy bug idioms today!
Usually preceded by “open”, a can of worms explains that if we ask a question or approach a topic, then the result will be further questions and issues. It means that the problem we are talking about has no simple answer, rather, it is so complicated.
Can of worms example: Asking Charlotte about her future plans is like opening a can of worms. She’ll probably ask you for a loan, or a new car!
Related: Quick Learners: How To Learn Idioms In English
The worm turned: A contrastive contribution to our bug idioms
The next addition to our bug idioms, “the worm turned”, describes a situation where the tables have turned. One party was weaker in the past, but now they have the advantage. We also say “as the worm turns” to describe something happening which is typical of life.
As the worm turns example: I got a promotion at work this week. I can’t believe it. Just last year they were threatening to fire me! I guess this is life as the worm turns.
Butterflies in (your) stomach/Butterflies in my stomach
A butterfly is a light and airy insect. We have a light and airy feeling in our stomachs when we are nervous. I guess that is why the saying butterflies in our stomach came about. There are several ways to use this phrase. We can say butterflies in my, your, his. Her, our, or the stomach.
Example: I have got butterflies in my stomach because I have to make a presentation in 20 minutes.
Bug out
When we have to leave somewhere quickly, we can say we need to “bug out”. It could be for an emergency, a dangerous situation, or when we have overstayed our welcome. Of interest, many people have a bug-out bag ready to be taken with them if an emergency occurs.
Bug out example sentence: We should bug out. The people on that corner look suspicious.
Like a moth to a flame: A fiery addition to our bug idioms!
Sometimes we also say “the flame” instead of a flame. Anyway, this bug idiom means that people are extremely attracted to something like at night time, insects fly toward bright lights or flames.
Like a moth to a flame sentence: The kids crowded around the videogame console like a moth to a flame.
At a snail’s pace: One of our slowest bug idioms!
How fast does a snail move? Super-slow! So, anyone doing something at a “snail’s pace” is moving at a glacial rate!
At a snail s pace sentence: Ophelia has been doing her homework at a snail’s pace. At this rate, she won’t be finished before midnight!
Dropping like flies: A poor bug idiom!
This expression comes from the fact that flies can be killed relatively easily. Either with spray, a fly swat, or a bug zapper. It means that usually animals become ill, or even die, in great numbers. For example, the cows on a farm all became sick at the same time. We can sometimes use it to refer to people collapsing from heat exhaustion, too.
Dropping like flies example sentence: The cattle have been dropping like flies ever since the drought began. The farmer doesn’t know what to do.
Time flies: Not strictly one of our bug idioms, but close enough!
Time flies means time passes very fast, like a bird, or perhaps an insect flies by. We usually say this when we are having a good time. There is a very common proverb in the English language. It goes like this: Time flies when you’re having fun.
Time flies sentence: Wow, time flies. It is already time to leave the beach. We’ve had a great day today, haven’t we?
Busy as a bee
What does a bee do every day? They fly from plant to plant, then back to the nest. Rinse and repeat. Quite a frenetic existence. That’s why when we are busy, we can be compared to a bee!
As busy as a bee sentence: Liam has been as busy as bee this week. He has been preparing for his English speech contest!
A fly on the wall: One of our nosier bug idioms
A fly on the wall means we are able to observe someone without being noticed. It is often used hypothetically. For instance, we would like to be a fly on the wall in the manager’s meeting to find out what they are saying about us!
A fly-on-the-wall example: Did you hear Noah and Oliver had a row? Oh, to be a fly on the wall would have been interesting!
On the fly
The meaning of on the fly is to do something without stopping. It indicates smoothness or ability. For instance, I was able to recite the times table without thinking about it. Or the computer can do 1 million calculations in 10 seconds without having to shut down other operations.
On-the-fly expression example: Charlotte told me 3 jokes on the fly. She really is funny!
Bee in your bonnet
When you have a bee in your bonnet, it means that you are obsessively worried or annoyed about something. We keep on bringing up the topic again and again. The word “bonnet” refers to a type of hat. Imagine if a bee flew into your hat, you would become rather uncomfortable, wouldn’t you?
Bee in your bonnet sentence: Ophelia has a bee in her bonnet about Ava’s singing voice. She can’t stand it!
Bee’s knees
You might hear someone say you are the bee’s knees, or, she thinks she’s the bee’s knees. What this means is the person is the best in many ways. For example, they might be extremely talented in their work, very charismatic, or very good-looking.
Example: Ophelia thinks she’s the bee’s knees. It’s not a great attitude to have in life.
Make a beeline
To make a beeline for somewhere means to go somewhere in a hurry. It often is used when we talk about someone’s behavior, for example, he made a beeline for the desserts at the buffet. This is the most direct of today’s bug idioms!
How to use beeline: That suspicious man made a beeline for the shop’s exit.
To bug someone
When do we use “to bug someone”? Well, just as mosquitos and flies can be irritating, when we bug another person we are annoying them.
to bug someone example: You should stop bugging your classmates for video “likes”. If they like the video they will press like themselves.
Wouldn’t hurt a fly
This means a gentle person, who would not try to cause harm or injury to anyone. Can also be used for animals. For example, if we have a very gentle dog or a cat, we can say that they wouldn’t hurt a fly.
Wouldn’t hurt a fly example: Martin wouldn’t hurt a fly. He’s literally the nicest person I know.
Snug as a bug in a rug
How does a bug feel if it is under a warm carpet on a cold winter‘s night? Most probably, this bug feels pretty comfortable! We use the expression snug as a bug in a rug to explain how someone looks warm and comfortable.
Snug as a bug in a rug sentence: My pet cat is as snug as a bug in a rug on my bed.
Ants in one’s pants: a comical addition to our bug idioms!
The expression ants in one’s pants is normally used together with the pronouns his or her. Imagine that one’s pants have some ants in them! This would be extremely uncomfortable! It might be that we fidget or jump around energetically. This is where the phrase ants in one’s pants comes from. When someone is constantly moving, fidgeting, or just not being still we can say they have ants in their pants!
Ants in my pants example: Theo has ants in his pants! He can’t sit still for a minute. I think he is bored at work today.
Buzzed
Buzzed means slightly drunk. Another word for this is tipsy.
Buzzed sentence: Ophelia and Patrick were buzzed after they had two glasses of wine.
Buzz
A buzz Is a constant low-pitch sound. It could come from hair clippers, electric wires, or some such devices. The sound also is made by insects, such as flies or bees.
Buzz in a sentence: I could hear a buzzing sound, and then I realized there was a bee flying near me!
Bug-eyed
This expression is used to illustrate how someone’s eyes appear bulging, all large. We might be bug-eyed after we have been shocked!
Example: The deer looked bug-eyed after I shone my car lights at its face, poor creature!
Snail mail
Snail Mail refers to paper-based letters. Nowadays most people contact each other via email or Messaging apps. Before this people used to write cards or letters to each other on paper! Shock! Nowadays this type of communication is sometimes called snail mail. The reason it’s called snail mail because snails move slowly, just like let us we have mailed.
Snail mail example: I contacted my aunt by snail mail because she doesn’t own a phone or computer.
Hornet’s nest, or stir up a hornet’s nest
If you hear someone say hornet’s nest or stir up a hornet‘s nest, you might want to be cautious. Just like the hornet insect is fierce and scary, if we have stirred up a hornet’s nest, we have potentially made someone angry or dangerous. For example, we criticized an aggressive person.
Stir up a hornet’s nest sentence: You stirred up a hornet’s nest when you asked Trevor why he got divorced.
Bugbear: Why is a bear here if we are talking about bug idioms?
A bugbear is a thing that irritates you, like a pet peeve. It’s not really a bear! If you would like to find out more about bugbears or pet peeves, they are talked about in one of my other articles, here.
Bugbear in a sentence: One bugbear of mine is when people think it is all right to start smoking in a restaurant. Don’t they realize it’s not the 1990s anymore?
Birds and the bees
The birds and the bees is a euphemism for explaining to young people how human reproduction works.
Example: John gave his son the talk about the birds and the bees. He was a bit embarrassed.
Bar fly
A bar fly is a derogatory term used to talk about someone who frequents bars or other related alcoholic premises. It can also refer to a woman hanging out at bars who is promiscuous.
Example: Nathan is a barfly. He probably goes out five times a week.
Worm’s eye view
A worm’s eye view refers to the perspective a worm might have looking up at things. When we want to explain we are in a low place looking up at objects we might say we have a worm’s eye view.
Example sentence: I had a worm’s eye view of the Empire State building. It looked so tall and amazing!
Travel bug
If you have the travel bug, it means that you enjoy traveling. You might even be addicted to seeing new places!
Travel bug sentence
James and Emma definitely have the travel bug! They usually work for a few months, and then go traveling.
Buzz off
We use this expression to tell someone to go away. We might say buzz off because we are irritated. If someone is pestering us and won’t give up, we might have the urge to tell them to buzz off. It is quite a strong and borderline offensive expression. But, it is sometimes necessary to say things strongly.
Buzz-off sentence: I told the guy in the club to buzz off because he kept asking me questions and wouldn’t take the hint that I didn’t want to talk to him.
To be fly
To be fly means to be cool, or fashionable. We might use the term fly to talk about a song, some clothing, or even a person.
Example: That new poster on the wall is so fly.
Waspish
Waspish means someone readily expresses anger or emotion. This bug idiom refers to the nasty creature, the wasp. Apologies if you are interested in wasps, but most people don’t like them!
Waspish example in a sentence: Travis gave a waspish answer to my question.
Knee-high to a grasshopper
This is a humorous phrase. When we say someone is knee-high to a grasshopper, what we mean is they are very young or small. Just like a grasshopper is tiny!
Knee-high to a grasshopper example: Johnny is just knee-high to a grasshopper. He’s only four years old.
What a creep: A negative addition to our bug idioms
This negative phrase means someone is highly off-putting, disgusting, or creepy just like a spider is. People often utter “what a creep” after an inappropriate question is asked by them. Creep comes from the English expression “creepy crawly”. This refers to an insect.
Example: What a creep! That guy kept asking me out on a date and just wouldn’t give up.
To bug someone
When we bug someone, it means that we irritate, annoy, or persist in asking them questions. It should come as no surprise that this is a very negative idiom. It isn’t quite as strong as the last one, what a creep, but it is still definitely not desirable.
Example: You should stop bugging your classmates for video “likes”. If they like the video they will press like Themselves.
A fly in the ointment: A disappointing member of our bug idioms!
A fly in the ointment is a small disappointment or issue which can spoil the main event or main subject of a topic.
A fly in the ointment example: It’s, unfortunately, a fly in the ointment. If you can’t come to the party, then I think the atmosphere won’t be as much fun!
Beetle-browed
This expression means someone looks sullen or unfriendly. It can also be used to describe a person who has very thick and big eyebrows.
Beetle-browed used in a sentence: Theo is looking rather beetle-browed today. I wonder what happened to make him look so irritated?
Mind your own beeswax and study these bug idioms instead!
Mind your own beeswax is an idiom we used to refer to a nosy person. If they are asking too many questions or inappropriate questions, we can then say mind your own beeswax! It’s basically a slightly more polite way of saying “please mind your own business and stop asking me.” This is a very handy addition to today’s bug idioms – how many people have you met in the past who have been too nosey?
Example: I told Cassandra to mind her own beeswax when she asked about my salary.
Attention span of a gnat: One of our tiniest bug idioms!
If someone has the attention span of a gnat, then this bug idiom means that they have a very short attention span. They can’t focus for a long time. It’s a very straight and frank expression. What is a gnat, you might ask? It’s a two-winged fly that looks like a mosquito.
The attention span of a gnat example: When I was younger I had the attention span of a gnat. Luckily, I’m a little bit more focused these days.
Put a bug in your ear: I’m just letting you know you should study these bug idioms!
This idiom means that we give somebody a hint about something so that they can go on to think more about it in the future.
Example: I put a bug in my wife’s ear about buying a new house. She might not want to right now, but I think she will gradually come around to it.
Catch a bug: An infectious member of today’s bug idioms
If we catch a bug, then we catch a cold, or similar virus. A bug refers to something bad like an infection.
Example: To avoid catching bugs in winter, it is common sense to wash our hands often.
Bitten by the bug
If we are bitten by the bug, this means that we have become excited or interested in a topic, or hobby. We might be bitten by the bug of collecting cards, or gardening, for example. It could be anything. What’s interesting is we sometimes combine travel bug with bitten by the bug. For instance, he was bitten by the travel bug and left his home country for a year!
Bitten by the bug example: Emma was bitten by the bug and ended up joining a hiking club.
A hive of activity: One of our busiest bug idioms
Just like a beehive is full of bees, and is constantly moving and he’s busy, a hive of activity refers to a place that is alive, chaotic, and has lots of things going on at the same time.
A hive of activity sentence: Our uni is a hive of activity this week because we have the Prime Minister is visiting next Monday. Everybody is trying to get things organized and ready for him.
Bug idioms that help you speak English naturally
From butterflies in your stomach and the bee’s knees to a can of worms and like a moth to a flame, if you use these bug idioms in your speech, you will sound more natural and fluent in your speech. An added benefit is that if you can memorize the expressions by heart, you’ll have superior listening comprehension, too! One word of caution, though! Don’t overuse them, as then it will have the opposite effect of sounding natural. The best thing to do is just use them when the situation is right. I hope this post has helped boost your English vocabulary!