In addition to usage and meaning, some phrases and proverbs are suitable for written statements, some are only used in spoken English, some involve metaphors, some originate from stories, some are famous sayings, some are spoken by British people, but not by Americans, and some countries have different sayings. ...
So learning phrases and proverbs is very interesting. I hope you can not only remember these English phrases and proverbs by reading my series of articles, but also experience foreign culture and some knowledge that is not in books but must be known in life from related stories.
The word dog is very common in English. Idioms related to dogs involve all aspects of life. This article is the first part.
The dog here is a verb with three meanings:
1. muddling along, being lazy to avoid responsibility = being lazy; Lazy or shirking responsibility; Fail to make the necessary efforts to reach or complete something.
example
Jim was heartbroken after losing his job and has been hanging around at home for the past month.
I hate my job, so I stayed in the office until it was time to go home.
I once dreamed of going to medical school, but I stuck to it in the last two years of college and now I can't go anywhere.
2. Betray, quit, leave in a hurry or escape from something.
example
I'm afraid the company will block the deal at the last minute.
We left as soon as we heard the siren.
3. Another meaning is sex life.
4.
Stand someone up (English for dog) = Don't pick someone up when flying.
He reminded me that he did not come.
5.
Distract the dog from tracking the smell of someone or an animal.
Dogs chase their sense of smell. This idiom is to use other smells to distract dogs and drive them away.
The smell of skunks scared the dog away. Dogs that smell like weasels can be driven away.
Later, put/throw someone off the smooth means to get rid of someone and let someone lose the clue.
More often, it will make the police lose clues.
six
= Be a dog's heel;
Follow your heels
A trained dog walks with you without a rope.
A gentle command from the master made Fedo submit.
Extend: bring sb. to heel
Force others to follow you and do what you ask (more formally) = make someone act in a different way; Force someone to act in a more disciplined way.
She tried to bring her husband to heel, but he had his own opinion. His harsh wife forced him to submit.
seven
Dogs may have eaten homework, but as an idiom, it has become a stupid excuse for not finishing the task on time. Common in primary school students. Someone has no poor excuse for doing something on time. From an excuse that a student may give for not handing in his homework on time. Appear in many forms. )
example
The dog ate my homework, so I have nothing to hand in. (used as an attribute. )
Bob's report was late. He had nothing but his typical excuse that the dog ate my homework.