The animal rights group the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals wants people to stop using what it calls “anti-animal language.”

PETA tweeted on Tuesday a list of phrases people should use as substitutes for everyday phrases they feel are anti-animal.

Instead of “kill two birds with one stone,” PETA suggests saying “feed two bird with one scone.” “Bring home the bacon” becomes “Bring home the bagels.” “Take the bull by the horns,” becomes “Take the flower by the thorns.”

“Just as it became unacceptable to use racist, homophobic, or ableist language, phrases that trivialize cruelty to animals will vanish as more people begin to appreciate animals for who they are,” PETA also tweeted.

The tweet prompted a strong response from the public, with nearly 10,000 retweets and over 40,000 responses. Many Twitter users made fun of PETA’s suggestions.

“No more ‘beating around the bush’ or ‘nip that in the bud’! Protect my plants!” said Twitter user @VinnyPardi.

“Might I suggest that a bird is more likely to survive having a stone thrown at it than eating a scone,” said user @ArtTheStone.

But PETA did not back down and tweeted a response to the “haters.”

“With so much negativity in the world, why not lighten up and use language in a way that encourages being kind to animals?” the group tweeted.