Cows have a timeless charm that captures our hearts with their gentle nature and strong presence. Whether you’re a devoted fan of these magnificent creatures or just exploring their symbolism for an upcoming project, you’ll find that the world of bovines offers plenty of inspiration. To help you add depth and flair to your writing, we’ve compiled a collection of great phrases involving these animals that will elevate your work and spark creativity.
Don’t forget to also check out our collection of animal phrases, their meanings, and their role in our lives.
30 Common Cow Phrases
Sacred Cow
A sacred cow refers to an idea, custom, or institution that is regarded as immune from criticism, questioning, or change, often because it is deeply respected or considered untouchable.
Example: “In some companies, the CEO is treated like a sacred cow, and no one dares to challenge their decisions.”
Holy Cow
Meaning: an informal exclamation used to express surprise, amazement, or disbelief.
Example: “Holy cow! I can’t believe they finally won the championship after all these years!”
Cash Cow
Meaning: A product, business, or investment that generates a steady and significant stream of income or profit with minimal ongoing effort or investment.
Example:
- The popular mobile game became a cash cow for the developers, bringing in millions of dollars in revenue every month.
- The company’s flagship product is a cash cow, helping them fund their other experimental ventures.
Cow Juice
Meaning: A colloquial term for milk, particularly when referring to it as a simple or natural drink, often used humorously or informally.
Examples:
- He poured some cow juice into his cereal for breakfast.
After a long day, she relaxed with a glass of cow juice before heading to bed.
Cow Chips
Meaning: A slang term for dried cow manure, often used humorously or in rural contexts. It can also refer to a type of snack or game, such as throwing dried manure in a playful competition.
Examples: The children spent the afternoon collecting cow chips for a local competition.
Have a Cow
Meaning: To become very upset, angry, or agitated about something, often in a way that seems exaggerated or unnecessary.
Examples:
- Don’t have a cow over a small mistake, it’s not a big deal!
- He had a cow when he found out his favorite restaurant had closed down.
Ox-Eyed
Meaning: Something that is large, round, and often resembles the shape or appearance of an ox’s eye. It can be used to refer to a specific type of flower, such as the ox-eye daisy, or describe a person’s eye as wide and bright.
Examples:
- The field was dotted with ox-eyed daisies, their white petals standing out against the green grass.
- She had ox-eyed blue eyes that seemed to sparkle in the sunlight.
Calf Love
Meaning: A term used to describe a young, innocent, or immature infatuation or crush, typically experienced by adolescents. It suggests that the feelings are not fully developed or serious.
Examples:
- Their calf love quickly faded once they went off to different high schools.
- He smiled at the memories of his calf love, remembering how intense it felt at the time but realizing it was just a phase.
Cow Licked Hair
Meaning: A playful or humorous term used to describe hair that appears messy, unkempt, or tangled, as if it had been licked or tousled by a cow. It often refers to a disheveled or wild hairstyle.
Examples:
- After the long hike, her hair looked like it had been cow-licked, with strands sticking out in every direction.
- His cow-licked hair made him look as though he’d just woken up, despite being fully awake.
Bullheaded
Meaning: If someone is bullheaded, it means they are stubborn, determined, or obstinate, and tend to refuse to change their mind or listen to others, even in the face of reasonable arguments.
Examples:
- She’s so bullheaded that once she makes up her mind, there’s no changing it.
- His bullheaded approach to the problem meant he wouldn’t consider any alternatives, even when others offered better solutions.
Hit the Bullseye
Meaning: If someone hits the bullseye, it means they have achieved a perfect or exact result, particularly when aiming for a specific target or goal.
Examples:
- She hit the bullseye with her presentation, impressing everyone in the room.
- After several failed attempts, he finally hit the bullseye with his pitch, landing the big client.
Bullshit
Meaning: A crude or informal term used to describe something that is false, deceptive, or nonsensical. It can also refer to exaggerated or insincere talk, often meant to deceive or mislead.
Examples:
- When he told me that story, I could tell it was just bullshit.
- Don’t try to feed me that bullshit—I know the real reason you’re late.
A Bullshit Artist
Meaning: A person who is skilled at telling lies, exaggerating, or deceiving others with smooth talk, often in a convincing or charming way. Think of someone who manipulates or fabricates stories for personal gain or to impress others.
Examples:
- He’s such a bullshit artist—you can never trust anything he says.
- She knew he was a bullshit artist when he started bragging about his achievements without any proof.
Bull Market
Meaning: A period in the financial markets, particularly in stocks, where prices are rising or are expected to rise. It is characterized by investor confidence, optimism, and a general sense that the market will continue to improve.
Examples:
- The economy thrived during the bull market, with stock prices reaching record highs.
- Investors were eager to buy, hoping the bull market would continue to bring in profits.
Like A Bull at a Gate
Meaning: Someone who is eager, impatient, or uncontrollably rushing toward something, often without regard for the consequences or without being careful.
Examples:
- He charged into the meeting like a bull at a gate, eager to share his ideas without waiting for his turn.
- The kids ran like bulls at a gate when the bell rang for recess.
Bellow Like a Bull
Meaning: To make a loud, deep, and forceful noise, similar to the sound a bull makes. The phrase is often used to describe someone shouting angrily or speaking in a booming voice.
Examples:
- The coach bellowed like a bull, demanding the team run another lap.
- He bellowed like a bull when he saw the mess in the kitchen, startling everyone in the house.
Grab the Bull by the Horns
Meaning: To take control of a difficult or challenging situation directly and confidently, tackling it head-on rather than avoiding it.
Examples:
- Instead of procrastinating on the project, she decided to grab the bull by the horns and address the most challenging tasks first.
- The new manager grabbed the bull by the horns and implemented changes to improve team efficiency.
Cock and Bull Story
Meaning: A fanciful, exaggerated, or fabricated story that is often hard to believe. In other words, a story told to deceive, mislead, or amuse others
Examples:
- He came up with some cock and bull story about why he was late, but no one believed him.
- The movie was based on a cock and bull story about a treasure hidden in the mountains.
Red Rag to a Bull
Meaning: Something that provokes anger, irritation, or an aggressive reaction, often deliberately or predictably. The phrase is based on the popular (though incorrect) belief that the color red enrages bulls.
Examples:
- Criticizing his favorite football team is like waving a red rag to a bull—he gets furious every time.
- Bringing up politics at the dinner table was a red rag to a bull, sparking an intense argument.
Like a Bull in a China Shop
Meaning: Someone who is clumsy, reckless, or tactless in a delicate or sensitive situation, often causing unintended damage or chaos.
Examples:
- He handled the negotiations like a bull in a china shop, offending the clients with his blunt comments.
- She’s so energetic that whenever she’s in the kitchen, she’s like a bull in a china shop, knocking things over left and right.
’Til the Cows Come Home
Meaning: For a very long time, indefinitely, or forever. The phrase is often used to suggest that something could go on endlessly without a resolution.
Examples:
- You can argue with her ’til the cows come home, but she won’t change her mind.
- They could dance ’til the cows come home and still not get tired of the music.
Chewing Cud
Meaning: To think something over slowly and carefully, often in a reflective or meditative manner.
Examples:
- She sat by the window, silently chewing cud over the decision she had to make.
- After the meeting, he spent hours chewing cud on their suggestions before responding.
Strong as an Ox
Meaning: Someone who is exceptionally strong or physically powerful, comparing their strength to that of an ox, a notoriously hardy and robust animal.
Examples:
- He might not look it, but he’s strong as an ox and can lift those heavy crates on his own.
- The wrestler proved to be strong as an ox, overpowering his opponent with ease.
The Constitution of an Ox
Meaning: Someone who is exceptionally healthy, resilient, or able to withstand physical hardships, much like the strong and sturdy nature of an ox.
Examples:
- Despite working long hours every day, he seems to have the constitution of an ox and never falls ill.
- She has the constitution of an ox, bouncing back quickly from the flu while everyone else was bedridden for weeks.
Ox in the Ditch
Meaning: An urgent or unforeseen situation that requires immediate attention or action, even if it disrupts plans or routines. The phrase originates from the biblical idea of helping an ox out of a ditch on the Sabbath, symbolizing an exception to the usual rules due to necessity.
Examples:
- Sorry I missed the meeting, but there was an ox in the ditch when my car broke down on the way.
- We don’t usually work weekends, but with this ox in the ditch, we’ll need everyone to pitch in to meet the deadline.
Put the Cart before the Ox
Meaning: Doing things in the wrong order, or making decisions that are backwards or illogical. In other words, the proper sequence or priorities are being ignored.
Examples:
- You’re trying to plan the wedding before even proposing? You’re definitely putting the cart before the ox!
- By buying the furniture before securing the house, they’re putting the cart before the ox.
How Now Brown Cow
Meaning: An old, playful expression that is often used as a way to greet someone or as a fun way to practice enunciation, especially in language lessons
Examples:
- “How now brown cow,” he said, smiling as he saw his old friend walking down the street.
- The teacher asked the class to repeat “How now brown cow” to practice their pronunciation.
Don’t Have a Cow, Man!
Meaning: A humorous way of telling someone not to overreact or get overly upset about something, typically in a situation where the reaction seems exaggerated or unnecessary.
Examples:
- “It’s just a small mistake, don’t have a cow, man!”
- “I accidentally spilled your coffee, but don’t have a cow, man—I’ll clean it up right away!”
Don’t Cry Over Spilt Milk
Meaning: It’s pointless to be upset about something that has already happened and cannot be changed. The phrase is used to encourage people to acceptance and move on from past mistakes or misfortunes.
Examples:
- I missed the deadline, but there’s no use crying over spilt milk. I’ll just focus on the next project.
- Yes, we made a mistake, but don’t cry over spilt milk—let’s fix it and move forward.
The Ox is Slow, but the Earth is Patient
Meaning: Aproverb that suggests that although progress may be slow, persistence and patience will eventually lead to success or results. It emphasizes the value of steady, consistent effort over time, even if immediate outcomes aren’t visible.
Examples:
- “Don’t worry about the delays; remember, the ox is slow, but the earth is patient—keep at it, and you’ll see results.”
- “She may not be the fastest, but the ox is slow, but the earth is patient—her steady work will pay off in the end.”