English can be a confusing language. The number of words in English is given at over 600 000 by the Oxford English Dictionary. This isn’t even counting the thousands of slang words which complicate the matter! When we take those into account, English gets very confusing indeed.
So what does it mean if someone calls you dog in English? Is it positive or negative? The answer is; it could be either! Like most things in English, context matters. Being called “dog”, “dawg”, or “doggy” can be a good thing, or it can be a bad thing. It all depends on the situation!
So let’s look at the slang usage for the word “dog” in English and discover the different ways it can be used.
The Bad
As you can probably imagine, there are many ways that calling someone a dog can be a bad thing. Someone usually uses this word to put someone down by comparing them to a dog.
This could be either comparing their looks or their behaviour to the animal.
Following is a list of uses for the word dog. Keep in mind that these are rude you don’t want to go around calling people a dog in these ways.
- An ugly or unattractive woman.
- Did you see that woman? What a dog!
- Someone who is sexually aggressive or engages in many casual relationships.
- Last night John was trying to get with every woman at the bar. He’s a dog!
- Someone who is bad or morally reprehensible.
- You low down dirty dog!
- A movie that does poorly in theaters.
- Have you seen The Call of the Wild? It was a total dog!
Most often, when the word dog is used negatively it is comparing someone directly to a dog. Of course, this is a negative usage for the word. There aren’t many people who would appreciate being compared to an animal, especially a dog. However, dog isn’t always meant to be a negative thing.
The Good
You can call a friend of yours “dog” in the same way that you can call them “dude”, “bro”, or “man”. When you say it in the same contexts as you would use those words, it isn’t a negative thing. It’s simply a different way to address your buddies! You sometimes see it written as “dawg”. Some people choose to say “doggy” as well.
You can see this usage in media or various forms from video games to TV shows.
In the popular 2004 video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, during one of the opening scenes, a character in the game named Big Smoke refers to the main character Carl Johnson as his dog. Check it out below:
CJ enters his childhood home and shortly after is attacked by Big Smoke. When Big Smoke recognizes who came into the house, he stops his attack and greets CJ as a friend calling him “my dog”.
A similar example, this time from real life, comes from the TV show American Idol. A judge on the show, Randy Jackson, became notorious for calling the contestants “dawg”. Here’s a short clip from an interview he did with Oprah where he explains this term:
In the video, he explains that he grew up in a black community in the Southern United States. During his time there, he picked up many different slang words and phrases. One of them was “dog”.
Using dog as a positive word doesn’t carry any specific definition like it does when you use it as a negative word. It is just a general term of endearment used to refer to friends. Below you can find some other example sentences using dog in this way:
- You sly dog!
- He’s a lucky dog!
- Let’s go grab some food, dog.
- Hey dog, how’s it going?
Other phrases
There are some other slang phrases where the word “dog” makes an appearance.
Hair of the dog
This is a colloquial phrase that refers to drinking alcohol to cure a hangover. The entire phrase is “hair of the dog that bit you”.
The history of this phrase is interesting. It was originally used to refer to a folk remedy for rabies. The thought was that if you applied the hair of the dog that bit you onto your wound or if you drank a potion containing those hairs it would cure your rabies.
Similarly, the modern usage says that if you have a hangover you should drink more alcohol to cure it. The idea is that like cures like.
You probably shouldn’t try either of these remedies, especially if you actually have rabies, but the journey of this phrase through history is an interesting story!
- Drank too much last night? You just need a little hair of the dog.
Underdog
Underdog can refer to a couple of things. You most commonly hear this term to refer to the person or team thought by others to be unlikely to win a competition.
In this usage, you are saying that the underdog’s chances to win are low.
- The opposing team is the underdog for tonight’s match.
Another possible usage for the term is for an action someone can do while pushing another person on a swing set. You perform an underdog while pushing someone on a swing by running underneath them while they are at the highest point of the swing. Here’s a video of what that looks like:
Updog
What’s updog?
Nothing much, how about you?
Conclusion
And there you have it! There are a surprising amount of uses for the word “dog” in English.
From insults to terms of endearment, you can use this word in almost any way you want to depending on the context. So be careful if you decide to use it, you want to make sure the context is appropriate.
If someone calls you dog, hopefully you’ve found the knowledge to understand what they mean!
- lead a dog’s life – вести несчастную (собачью) жизнь; влачить жалкое существование
- dog-eat-dog – беспощадный (о конкуренции), звериный, волчий, жестокий, злобный; человек человеку – волк
- work like a dog – работать очень упорно
- dog-tired – очень-очень уставший; «устал, как собака»
- sick as a dog – очень больной
- every dog has its day – у каждого бывает светлый день; придёт и твой день; «будет и на нашей улице праздник»
- you can’t teach an old dog new tricks – старую собаку новым фокусам не научишь (т.е. в старости поздно переучиваться)
- bark is worse than one’s bite – лает, но не кусает — используется в отношении кого-либо, кто не настолько плох, как кажется; от него (от неё и т.д.) больше шума, чем вреда; больше бранится, чем на самом деле сердится
- in the doghouse – в немилости, в опале; быть объектом злости или раздражения
- let sleeping dogs lie – не буди лиxa, пока лиxo спит
- dog days of summer – самые жаркие дни лета; летняя жара
- rain cats and dogs – проливной дождь, ливень; льет, как из ведра
Американское произношение:
Americans use many expressions with the word dog. People in the United States love their dogs and treat them well. They take their dogs for walks, let them play outside and give them good food and medical care. However, dogs without owners to care for them lead a different kind of life. The expression, to lead a dog’s life, describes a person who has an unhappy existence.
Американцы используют много выражений со словом «собака«. Люди в США любят собак и хорошо с ними обращаются. Они выводят своих собак на прогулки, дают им поиграть на воле, хорошо кормят и лечат. Однако собаки без заботливых хозяев ведут совершенно другую жизнь. Выражение «жить как собака» (to lead a dog’s life) относится к человеку, чьё существование несчастно.
Some people say we live in a dog-eat-dog world. That means many people are competing for the same things, like good jobs. They say that to be successful, a person has to work like a dog. This means they have to work very, very hard. Such hard work can make people dog-tired. And, the situation would be even worse if they became sick as a dog.
Некоторые говорят, что мы живем в «мире с волчьими законами» (dog-eat-dog world). Это означает, что многие конкурируют за одни и те же вещи, например — за хорошую работу. Они же говорят: чтобы достичь успеха, человек должен работать, как вол (собака) (work like a dog). Это означает, что работать приходится упорно и много. Такой тяжелый труд делает людей усталыми как собака (dog-tired). Что ещё хуже, можно тяжело заболеть (sick as a dog).
Still, people say every dog has its day. This means that every person enjoys a successful period during his or her life. To be successful, people often have to learn new skills. Yet, some people say that you can never teach an old dog new tricks. They believe that older people do not like to learn new things and will not change the way they do things.
И всё же говорят, что у каждой собаки бывает счастливый день (every dog has its day). Это означает,что у каждого бывает счастливый период в жизни. На пути к успеху людям часто приходится осваивать новые навыки. Однако порой говорят, что старую собаку не научишь новым трюкам (you can never teach an old dog new tricks). Такие считают, что старые люди не любят обучаться новому и менять привычные приемы.
Some people are compared to dogs in bad ways. People who are unkind or uncaring can be described as meaner than a junkyard dog. Junkyard dogs live in places where people throw away things they do not want. Mean dogs are often used to guard this property. They bark or attack people who try to enter the property. However, sometimes a person who appears to be mean and threatening is really not so bad. We say his bark is worse than his bite.
Некоторых людей сравнивают с собаками в плохом смысле. Про людей недобрых и бездушных могут сказать «злой как собака на свалке» (meaner than a junkyard dog). Такие собаки живут на свалке, куда выбрасывают ненужные вещи. Злые собаки часто используются для охраны свалок. Они лают и нападают на людей, если они пытаются проникнуть на свалку. Однако порой с виду злой и грозный человек на деле не таков. Мы говорим, что он больше лает, но не кусает (his bark is worse than his bite).
A junkyard is not a fun place for a dog. Many dogs in the United States sleep in safe little houses near their owners’ home. These doghouses provide shelter. Yet they can be cold and lonely in the winter.
Свалка — нелегкое место для собак. Многие собаки в США спят в безопасных конурах рядом с хозяйским домом. Конура защищает от непогоды. Всё же зимой в них холодно и одиноко.
Husbands and wives use this doghouse term when they are angry at each other. For example, a woman might get angry at her husband for coming home late or forgetting their wedding anniversary. She might tell him that he is in the doghouse. She may not treat him nicely until he apologizes. However, the husband may decide that it is best to leave things alone and not create more problems. He might decide to let sleeping dogs lie.
Когда муж и жена ссорятся, они сравнивают свой дом с конурой (doghouse). Например, женщина может разозлиться, если муж поздно вернулся или забыл о годовщине свадьбы. Она может сказать ему, что он в опале (прогнан в конуру) (in the doghouse). Она может быть к нему нелюбезна, пока он не извинится. Между тем муж может решить, что лучше все оставить как есть и не создавать новых проблем. То есть может решить не будить лиxa, пока лиxo спит (to let sleeping dogs lie).
Dog expressions also are used to describe the weather. The dog days of summer are the hottest days of the year. A rainstorm may cool the weather. But we do not want it to rain too hard. We do not want it to rain cats and dogs.
Выражения со словом «собака» также используются при описании погоды. Собачьи дни лета (dog days of summer) — самые жаркие дни года. Гроза порой освежает погоду. Но мы не любим слишком сильных дождей. Мы не хотим, чтобы дождь лил как из ведра (rain cats and dogs).
This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Jill Moss. I’m Faith Lapidus.
Это программа «Истории слов». Автор — Джил Мосс, ведущая — Фейт Лэпидус.
СМ. ТАКЖЕ:
- go to the dogs – ухудшаться, становиться хуже
- hair of the dog – немного алкоголя, чтобы опохмелиться
- make a dog’s dinner of [something] – устроить бардак, провалить дело
- Английские идиомы со словом dog (собака)
level 1
The same stuff that made pussy a bad word, also dogs usually have sex with anything that moves or even things that don’t so you know
level 1
The bitch is submissive so if you’re a bitch then you’re submissive
level 1
Idk I guess it was used to offend and objectify women.
level 1
Because female dogs are submissive and get dominated by male dogs so it became a term used to shame people for submissive, passive, cowardly or effeminate behaviour
level 2
Female dogs are often alpha in a pack. Why do you say they’re submissive?
Word List
-
appropriate [əˈprəʊprɪeɪt] adj.
When a thing is appropriate, it is right or normal.
→ It’s appropriate to wear a suit when you go to the office.
-
avoid [əˈvɔɪd] v.
To avoid something is to stay away from it.
→ Avoid the broken bottle on the floor.
-
behave [bɪˈheɪv] v.
To behave is to act in a particular way, especially to be good.
→ She always behaves well when her father is around.
-
calm [kɑːm] adj.
When someone is calm, they do not get excited or upset.
→ A nice warm bath makes me feel so calm.
-
concern [kənˈsəːn] n.
Concern is a feeling of worry.
→ I was filled with concern after reading the newspaper.
-
content [kənˈtɛnt] adj.
To be content is to be happy and not want more.
→ The baby looked very content sitting on the floor.
-
expect [ɪkˈspɛkt] v.
If you expect something to happen, you believe it will happen.
→ I expect the bus to be here very soon.
-
frequently [ˈfriːkwəntli] adv.
When something happens frequently, it happens often.
→ We meet frequently, either at the beginning or ending of the week.
-
habit [ˈhabɪt] n.
A habit is a thing that you do often.
→ Smoking is a bad habit that can kill you.
-
instruct [ɪnˈstrʌkt] v.
To instruct is to teach.
→ My teacher instructs us in several subjects.
-
issue [ˈɪʃuː] n.
An issue is an important topic.
→ The men spoke about issues that were important to the people.
-
none [nəʊn] pron.
None means not any of someone or something.
→ He spent all his money. There is none left.
-
patient [ˈpeɪʃ(ə)nt] adj.
If a person is patient, they don’t become angry or upset easily.
→ I had to be patient and wait until 5 o’clock to leave.
-
positive [ˈpɒzɪtɪv] adj.
If something is positive, it is good.
→ She has a positive future ahead of her after finishing college.
-
punish [ˈpʌnɪʃ] v.
To punish means to make someone suffer for breaking the rules or laws.
→ To punish me, my teacher had me stand in the corner.
-
represent [rɛprɪˈzɛnt] v.
To represent is to speak or act for a person or group.
→ My lawyer will represent me in court.
-
shake [ʃeɪk] v.
To shake is to move back and forth or up and down quickly.
→ When people shake hands, it usually means they agree.
-
spread [sprɛd] v.
To spread is to move quickly to more places.
→ I like to spread butter on my toast.
-
stroll [strəʊl] v.
To stroll means to walk slowly and calmly.
→ My dog and I strolled through the park today.
-
village [ˈvɪlɪdʒ] n.
A village is a very small town.
→ There are only a few houses in my village.
The Dog’s Bell
John’s dog was a bad dog. He bit people frequently. John had great concern about this. It was not an appropriate way for a dog to behave. His friends in the village always expected the dog to bite them. The news about John’s dog spread through the village. None of the people wanted to go to John’s house. John tried to instruct the dog to behave, but it never worked. He tried to be patient and teach the dog to be calm. That also didn’t work. John didn’t want to punish the dog. “How will I stop my dog’s bad habit?” John asked himself.
John’s friend came to talk to him about the issue. During their important meeting, his friend said, “The people in the village asked me to represent them. We want your dog to stop this habit. Why don’t you put a bell around the dog’s neck? This way, we would hear your dog coming down the street.”
John thought this was a great idea. Now, people could stay away from the dog. It would not be able to bite anyone anymore.
The dog liked the bell, too. People looked at him when they heard his bell. This made the dog very content. He liked the song the bell played when he walked.
One day, John’s dog strolled through the village and met some other dogs. He expected them to want a bell like his. But they laughed at his bell. They said the bell made people avoid him. John’s dog shook his head. “No, they look at me because they like the bell.”
The other dogs said, “You have the wrong idea of what makes you popular. Of course they like your bell. It tells them where you are so they can avoid you. You aren’t able to bite them anymore!”
You see, being popular isn’t something positive when it’s for the wrong reason.
Reading Comprehension
Answer the questions.
-
What is this story mainly about?
- a. A dog that is frequently bad
- b. A dog’s stroll through town
- c. A content man and his dog
- d. A village that liked John’s dog
-
What is true of the dog?
- a. He likes none of John’s friends.
- b. He shakes his head too much.
- c. He bites when it’s not appropriate.
- d. He expects people to be calm around him.
-
Why did the issue with the dog bother John?
- a. People didn’t think of John in a positive way.
- b. People avoided going to John’s house.
- c. People didn’t want John to represent them.
- d. People didn’t like the song that John played.
-
What did John do to stop the dog’s bad habit?
- a. He instructed the dog on learning tricks.
- b. He punished the dog for biting.
- c. He was patient and showed concern.
- d. He put a bell around the dog’s neck.
-
What did the other dogs say about the bell?
_____________
Answer Key
Answer Key
Reading Comprehension
- a
- c
- d
- b
- They said the bell made people avoid him.
The activities in «4000 Essential English Words» are specially designed to make use of important learning conditions. Firstly, the words are introduced using sentence definitions and an example sentence. 4000 Essential English Words 2: 600 words (Unit 1 — Unit 30).
Read more
The activities in «4000 Essential English Words» are specially designed to make use of important learning conditions. Firstly, the words are introduced using sentence definitions and an example sentence. 4000 Essential English Words 3: 600 words (Unit 1 — Unit 30).
Read more
The activities in «4000 Essential English Words» are specially designed to make use of important learning conditions. Firstly, the words are introduced using sentence definitions and an example sentence. 4000 Essential English Words 4: 600 words (Unit 1 — Unit 30).
Read more
The activities in «4000 Essential English Words» are specially designed to make use of important learning conditions. Firstly, the words are introduced using sentence definitions and an example sentence. 4000 Essential English Words 5: 600 words (Unit 1 — Unit 30).
Read more
The activities in «4000 Essential English Words» are specially designed to make use of important learning conditions. Firstly, the words are introduced using sentence definitions and an example sentence. 4000 Essential English Words 6: 600 words (Unit 1 — Unit 30).
Read more