In the English language, idioms add color and expressiveness to our conversations. Among these, dog idioms are particularly popular, reflecting the special place these animals hold in many cultures. This post explores 20 common dog idioms, their meanings, and how they are used in everyday speech.
Dog Idioms
1. Barking up the wrong tree
Meaning: Accusing the wrong person
Example: He blamed Sally, but he was barking up the wrong tree.
2. Let sleeping dogs lie
Meaning: Avoid restarting a conflict
Example: They stopped arguing; best to let sleeping dogs lie.
3. Every dog has its day
Meaning: Everyone gets a chance eventually
Example: Just wait, every dog has its day.
4. Dog-eat-dog
Meaning: Ruthlessly competitive
Example: It’s a dog-eat-dog world in finance.
5. Dog tired
Meaning: Extremely tired
Example: After the hike, I was dog tired.
6. Dog’s breakfast
Meaning: A complete mess or failure
Example: The project was a total dog’s breakfast.
7. As sick as a dog
Meaning: Very ill
Example: He was as sick as a dog yesterday.
8. The tail wagging the dog
Meaning: Something small controlling something big
Example: It’s the tail wagging the dog in that team.
9. Top dog
Meaning: The leader or boss
Example: In this office, she’s the top dog.
10. Hair of the dog
Meaning: Alcohol consumed to ease a hangover
Example: He had a beer, hair of the dog.
11. Teach an old dog new tricks
Meaning: Learn something new later in life
Example: He learned Spanish—old dogs new tricks!
12. That dog won’t hunt
Meaning: That idea won’t work
Example: We tried, but that dog won’t hunt.
13. Working like a dog
Meaning: Working very hard
Example: He’s been working like a dog all week.
14. Dog days of summer
Meaning: Hottest days of summer
Example: August is the dog days of summer here.
15. Dog whistle
Meaning: A subtly aimed political message
Example: His speech was full of dog whistles.
16. Underdog
Meaning: Someone less likely to win
Example: She was the underdog but won the race.
17. Dog in the manger
Meaning: Preventing others from using something
Example: He’s a real dog in the manger with his books.
18. Dog and pony show
Meaning: An elaborate display or performance
Example: The presentation was a dog and pony show.
19. Like a dog with two tails
Meaning: Extremely happy
Example: He was like a dog with two tails.
20. Put on the dog
Meaning: Behave pretentiously
Example: They really put on the dog at parties.
Related: 20 Interesting Cat Idioms in English
