Dog Idioms and Phrases in the English Language
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(The) Tail That Wags the Dog
Meaning:
A small part of something that controls the whole thing
Examples:
Past TV deals have seen the tail wagging the dog. Now football clubs feel they are equal partners with TV.
A Barking Dog Never Bite
Meaning:
A way of saying that a person who makes constant threats will rarely carry them out.
Examples:
Pay no heed to his protestations – he’s a barking dog that never bites.
A Glory Hound
Meaning:
Someone is looking for glory, fortune, and fame.
Examples:
He never fails to invite the press to one of his functions—he’s a glory hound.
A Shaggy Dog Story
Meaning:
A long-winded anecdote that has a silly or anticlimactic ending.
Examples:
The old man was known for telling shaggy dog stories that made people groan and scratch their heads when he reached the ending.
As Mean as a Junkyard Dog
Meaning:
An idiom that suggests a person is very mean. It can also describe someone as cruel or eager to fight.
Examples:
They say that he is meaner than a junkyard dog, but he is quite sweet when you get to know him.
As Sick as a Dog
Meaning:
slang Very ill.
Examples:
Haley called out sick today, and she really sounded sick as a dog.
Barking Up the Wrong Tree
Meaning:
Taking a wrong direction in an activity; from the idea of a hunting dog being mistaken over which tree a hunted animal has climbed.
Examples:
I thought that I had an easy solution, but it didn’t work out that way. I guess I was barking up the wrong tree.
Be Like a Dog With a Bone
Meaning:
That a person is fixating on a topic.
Examples:
I was late once, and my boss is like a dog with a bone, bringing it up every chance she gets.
Be Like a Dog With Two Tail
Meaning:
To be very happy and excited.
Examples:
Mary’s been like a dog with two tails ever since she got her promotion.
Bite the Hand That Feeds You
Meaning:
An ungrateful person who turned against you.
Examples:
You might not agree with your parents’ rules, but be careful about biting the hand that feeds you, because you owe everything you have to them.
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