Achieving multiple aims at once? You may be "feeding two birds with one scone". Taking decisive action? That's "taking the flower by the thorns".  

Animal-related idioms are embedded in our language, but US animal rights group Peta (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) thinks the time has come for them to stop. 

On Twitter, the group offered alternatives to common expressions for people looking to avoid violent language towards animals. 

"Words matter, and as our understanding of social justice evolves, our language evolves along with it," Peta said.

"Just as it became unacceptable to use racist, homophobic, or ableist language, phrases that trivialise cruelty to animals will vanish as more people begin to appreciate animals for who they are and start ‘bringing home the bagels’ instead of the bacon."

The appeal prompted a mixed reaction on social media, with some saying it was offensive to compare the expressions to racist or homophobic slurs.