meaning and origin of the phrase ‘like a dog with two tails’

29th November 2018.Reading time 7 minutes.

USA, 1826—‘as proud as a dog with two tails’—extremely pleased, delighted—alludes to the belief that a dog wags its tail as a sign of pleasure or happiness

the Welsh origin of the phrase ‘to let the dog see the rabbit’

26th November 2018.Reading time 5 minutes.

1893—to allow someone to get on with their task—originated in Wales with reference to fair-mindedness in sports

‘culture vulture’ (a person who is voracious for culture)

24th August 2018.Reading time 6 minutes.

USA, 1931—phrase based on the phonetic similarity of the two words that compose it—implies lack of discrimination

‘trickle-down theory’ and ‘crumbs from a rich man’s table’

18th August 2018.Reading time 8 minutes.

‘crumbs from a rich man’s table’—late 18th century—from the parable of the rich man and Lazarus in the gospel of Luke, 16:19-31

origin of ‘steeplechase’: a horse race with a steeple as goal

7th August 2018.Reading time 8 minutes.

UK, 1793—a horse race across a stretch of open countryside, with a church steeple in view as goal

the British phrase ‘to talk the hind leg off a donkey’

27th May 2018.Reading time 6 minutes.

1808, as ‘to talk a horse’s hind leg off’—‘[animal’s] hind leg off’ is probably a hyperbolic extension of ‘to talk’, emphasising the speaker’s persistence or eloquence

origin of ‘doggy bag’ (to take home leftover food)

8th April 2018.Reading time 5 minutes.

USA, 1950s—The noun ‘doggy (or doggie) bag (or pack)’ denotes a bag, provided on request by the management of a restaurant, in which a diner may take home any leftovers; apparently, these leftovers were originally intended for the diner’s pet dog.

meaning and origin of the phrase ‘to see a man about a dog’

9th November 2017.Reading time 11 minutes.

UK, 1865—vague excuse for leaving to keep an undisclosed appointment, or, now frequently, to go to the toilet—perhaps originally with allusion to dogfighting