Where did the term dog tired come from?

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Dog tired is an old English phrase usually hyphenated to dog-tired. An adjectival phrase meaning to be physically exhausted, it derives from an old tale of Alfred the Great who used to send his sons out with his extensive kennels of hunting dogs.

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What does the term dog tired mean?

Definition of dog-tired

informal. : very tired : exhausted We were all tired, dog-tired, until an event that galvanized everybody into life.—

Where does the expression working like a dog come from?

“Working like a dog” simply means to go the extra mile and work extremely hard. The saying comes from farm dogs who work from the crack of dawn till the sun sets, and sled dogs and sheepdogs that perform grueling tasks every day.

How do you use dog tired in a sentence?

Dog-tired sentence example

  1. I can safely say, I have never been so dog-tired as that night in Chicago.
  2. He was dog tired and his stomach grumbled its dissatisfaction at being limited to the airline’s toy dinner.
  3. Should be even easier, and the defender should be getting dog-tired.

What is a bone tired?

Definition of bone-tired

: completely exhausted : extremely tired By war’s end, however, Bush was bone-tired, broken in spirit and bereft of influence.— Thomas P.

What does a bear with a sore head mean?

idiom informal (US also like a (real) bear) to be in a bad mood that causes you to treat other people badly and complain a lot: You’re like a bear with a sore head this morning.

What’s the meaning hold your horses?

idiom old-fashioned informal. used to tell someone to stop and consider carefully their decision or opinion about something: Just hold your horses, Bill! Let’s think about this for a moment.

Why do we say as sick as a dog?

The origin of the phrase ‘sick as a dog’ can be found in the early 1700’s, when it was common to compare undesirable things to dogs. The explanation for this isn’t that people didn’t like dogs, it is that diseases such as the plague were often spread via animals like rats, birds, and unfortunately, dogs.

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What is the meaning of throwing water on a duck’s back?

informal. : having no effect on someone He tried to convince her to take the job, but his advice was like water off a duck’s back.

What does donkey work mean?

Definition of donkeywork

: monotonous and routine work : drudgery.

What does dead tired mean?

dead tired (not comparable) Very tired; completely exhausted.

Has Gone to the Dogs meaning?

Definition of go to the dogs

: to become ruined : to change to a much worse condition Our favorite restaurant has gone to the dogs lately. The economy is going to the dogs.

What is another name for the dog star?

Sirius, also called Alpha Canis Majoris or the Dog Star, brightest star in the night sky, with apparent visual magnitude −1.46. It is a binary star in the constellation Canis Major.

Where did the saying bone idle come from?

Etymology. Laziness that penetrates the very bones. Attested 1836. Similar terms (bone-lazy, bone-sore, bone-tired) pre-dated it in The Vocabulary Of East Anglia, 1830, Robert Forby.

What does knackered actually mean?

: tired, exhausted. Synonyms & Antonyms Don’t Get Tired Defining Knackered Example Sentences Learn More About knackered.

What does Ennervated mean?

enervate EN-er-vayt verb. 1 : to reduce the mental or moral vigor of. 2 : to lessen the vitality or strength of.

What does have a whale of time mean?

Definition of a whale of a time

informal. : a great time We had a whale of a time at the party.

What does to rat on someone mean?

to tell someone in authority about something wrong that someone else has done Where I come from, you don’t rat on your friends. Someone ratted us out to the police.

What does the idiom a whale of time mean?

A very enjoyable experience, as in We had a whale of a time in Puerto Rico. This idiom alludes to the largest mammal to describe something very large and impressive. [ Colloquial; early 1900s]

What does it mean by Pie in the sky?

: an unrealistic enterprise or prospect of prosperity.

What the meaning of two peas in a pod?

Definition of two peas in a pod

—used to say that two people or things are very similar to each other My brother and I are two peas in a pod. We both like the same things.

What does smelt a rat mean?

smell a rat. Suspect something is wrong, especially a betrayal of some kind. For example, When I didn’t hear any more from my prospective employer, I began to smell a rat. This expression alludes to a cat sniffing out a rat. [

Why do they say fit as a fiddle?

Origin of Fit as a Fiddle

Fiddle means violin, but in the past, it also had the connotation of being something very positive. Therefore, in the past, comparing something to a fiddle was a way to compliment it. The expression fit as a fiddle was a way to say that something was correct or proper.

Where does sick as a pig come from?

There may be a literal source for the expression. At one time, land was said by farmers and vets to be pig sick if the animals were allowed to run on it for an extended period so that parasites built up in the soil, stopping the pigs thriving and sometimes killing them.

What does sock as a dog mean?

Definition of sick as a dog

informal. : very sick.

What is the meaning of fish out of water?

A person away from his or her usual environment or activities. For example, Using a computer for the first time, Carl felt like a fish out of water, or On a hiking trail, Nell was a fish out of water. This expression alludes to the fact that fish cannot survive for long on dry land. [ Late 1300s]

What is the meaning of pour cold water over something?

idiom. to criticize someone’s opinions or ideas and stop people believing them or being excited about them. Discouraging and putting off. aversive.

What is the meaning of pour cold water on?

Discourage or deter, as in Cutting my year-end bonus poured cold water on my loyalty to the company, or Hearing about the outbreak of cholera threw cold water on our plans to visit Bolivia.

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What does Monkey job mean?

noun. informal US. 1Unimportant, repetitive, or unsatisfying work.

What means to bite the dust?

“Bite the dust” is usually used to describe a fall to the ground or someone’s death and is more commonly associated with the death of a soldier in battle, but it also has the more modern association with general failure. There was more uncertainty as to the phrase’s origin: “From the song?” Caplan said.

What’s the meaning of keep the wolf from the door?

Definition of keep the wolf from the door

informal. : to have or earn enough money to afford things (such as food and clothing) that is needed to live They make just enough to keep the wolf from the door.

What does the word lion hearted mean?

Definition of lionhearted

: courageous, brave. Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More About lionhearted.

What is the meaning of the idiom in deep water?

to be in or get into serious trouble: The director knew he’d be in deep water if he didn’t mention his wife in his acceptance speech. Experiencing difficulties. be. be (caught) between a rock and a hard place idiom.

What does it mean to be drained?

Definition of ‘drained’

1. worn out; exhausted. United left the pitch looking stunned and drained. I was emotionally drained, hemmed in by my divorce lawyers. He could rest only when he was too drained of energy to fret further.

What does all bark and no bite mean?

all bark and no bite (not comparable) (idiomatic) Full of big talk but lacking action, power, or substance; pretentious. (idiomatic) Often making cutting remarks, but having a gentle personality underneath. (idiomatic) Aggressive but never combative.

What is the meaning of hard nut to crack?

Definition of a hard/tough nut (to crack)

: a person or thing that is difficult to deal with, understand, or influence The team’s defense is a tough nut to crack. The problem is a hard nut to crack. He’s a tough nut, but I think I can get him to agree to the contract.

What does it mean to open a can of worms?

Definition of open a can of worms

: to create a complicated situation in which doing something to correct a problem leads to many more problems Our boss is reluctant to change the policy now because she doesn’t want to open a can of worms.

What is the most beautiful star name?

Brightest Stars.

Common Name Astronomical Name
1 Sirius Alpha Canis Majoris
2 Canopus Alpha Carinae
3 Arcturus Alpha Bootis
4 Rigel Kentaurus Alpha Centauri

Where does the term the dog days of summer comes from?

These punishingly hot summer days get their name from an ancient belief about the brightest star in the sky—not from dogs’ tendency to laze around in the heat. For many, the “dog days,” evoke those summer days that are so devastatingly hot that even dogs would lie around on the asphalt, panting.

Why is Sirius the Dog Star?

Today, Sirius is nicknamed the “Dog Star” because it is part of the constellation Canis Major, Latin for “the greater dog.” The expression “dog days” refers to the period from July 3 through Aug. 11, when Sirius rises in conjunction with the sun, Space.com previously reported.

What’s the meaning of dirt cheap?

Very inexpensive, as in Their house was a real bargain, dirt cheap. Although the idea dates back to ancient times, the precise expression, literally meaning “as cheap as dirt,” replaced the now obsolete dog cheap. [

What does pitch dark mean?

Definition of pitch-dark

: extremely dark : pitch-black.

What means bone dry?

adjective. If you say that something is bone dry, you are emphasizing that it is very dry indeed. [emphasis]

Is knickers a bad word?

Knickers can also be used in a general way to mean “panties.” Knickers appears in a few British idioms, including most commonly get one’s knickers in a twist (or bunch or knot), which means “to get overly upset” and is typically used in a rude command not to do that.

Is it rude to say knackered?

Its a fine word! I don’t see it as swearing, but I wouldn’t want to listen to a child saying it for some reason. It used to be seen as a ‘bad’ word – I think because it stems from ‘knackers’ which is a slang word for testicles! But hardly offensive in this day and age.

What does have a crack mean?

To attempt (to do) something; to take a turn trying (to do) something. Well, I haven’t fixed a motor in nearly 10 years, but I’ll certainly have a crack at it. You had your chance trying to break the piñata, now let your sister have a crack at it.

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What is a mercurial man?

If you describe someone as mercurial, you mean that they frequently change their mind or mood without warning. [literary] …his mercurial temperament. Synonyms: capricious, volatile, unpredictable, erratic More Synonyms of mercurial.

What does it mean to be Sisyphean?

Definition of Sisyphean

: of, relating to, or suggestive of the labors of Sisyphus specifically : requiring continual and often ineffective effort a Sisyphean task.

What does Cloud 9 mean?

Definition of cloud nine

: a feeling of well-being or elation —usually used with on still on cloud nine weeks after winning the championship. Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More About cloud nine.

What is sweep someone off their feet?

: to make (someone) suddenly become very attracted to one in a romantic way She says that he swept her off her feet, and they were married six months later.

What does under your belt mean?

to have learned or succeeded in something that might be an advantage in the future: Basic computer skills are a good thing to have under your belt.

What does a bear with a sore head mean?

idiom informal (US also like a (real) bear) to be in a bad mood that causes you to treat other people badly and complain a lot: You’re like a bear with a sore head this morning.

What does it mean to duck out?

Definition of duck out

: to leave suddenly and usually without telling anyone that one is leaving We ducked out after the first act of the play. —often + on or of They ducked out on us without even saying goodbye.

What does it mean to rabbit on?

Definition of rabbit on

: to talk for too long about something that is not important or interesting —often + about He rabbited on about all his problems.

What does the world is your oyster mean?

Using the context of the example above, the phrase “the world is your oyster” means that you can achieve anything you wish in life or go anywhere because you have the opportunity or ability to do so.

What does everything but the kitchen sink mean?

: an extremely large number of things When he goes on vacation he takes along everything but the kitchen sink.

What is the meaning of tickled pink?

Definition of tickled pink

informal. : very happy or amused I was tickled pink to see her.

What does your cup of tea mean?

Definition of someone’s cup of tea

: something that someone likes or is good at —usually used in negative statements I’m afraid that skiing just is not my cup of tea. She admits that stamp collecting isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.

What is cold shoulder?

Definition of the cold shoulder

: cold and unfriendly treatment from a person known to one He got the cold shoulder from his former boss when he saw him at a restaurant. Most of the other professors gave him the cold shoulder.

What does castle in the air mean?

Definition of castle in the air

: an impracticable project : daydream.

What does like chalk and cheese mean?

When you say that two people are like ‘chalk and cheese’, you are suggesting that the two are very different from each other; they have nothing in common. The expression, which has the same meaning as ‘apples and oranges’, can be used with things as well. No one is really sure about the origin of this idiom.

Where does the expression hold your horses come from?

The term may have originated from army artillery units. Example: Hunt and Pringle’s Service Slang (1943) quotes “Hold your horses, hold the job until further orders”. Dave Chappelle used the figurative term on his show towards Jim Brewer in a marijuana commercial.

What does flat as a pancake mean?

Extremely level, especially too much so. For example, There are no hills; this terrain is flat as a pancake. This simile dates from the 1500s and has survived its contemporary, flat as a flounder.

What does it mean to put ones hand to Plough?

put one’s hand to the plough in British English

to begin or undertake a task.

What does bringing home the bacon mean?

informal. : to earn the money that is needed to live He worked hard all week to bring home the bacon for his family.

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