Comments on: Working Like a Dog

By: emiliano

emiliano — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 20:22:53 +0000

Going on with dogs, it is usual here in spain to say: “it is a dog’s day” or “I have a dog’s day”. The first just to say that the weather is very bad, cold, wendy or to much
rain. But the second is used just to say that the day was unfortunately, very busy or with a lot of unpleasant incidents as lossing the bus, or the underground, going later to the work, quarreling with the boss or some other fellow, and so on. This last one should be “a dog’s day” and I do not know why the expression as dogs don’t have usually so bad similar days like we use to have too often.
Of course these two expressions are absolutely normals and you may use them in good speaking with everybody, your boss, wife, husband, friends or mother in law.
Thanks Lucy again for your explanations.

By: yanis

yanis — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 23:05:34 +0000

I love let sleeping lie.

By: Jaime Reguero Gamez

Jaime Reguero Gamez — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:44:52 +0000

It´s raining Cats and Dogs! My teacher show me this expression last year, it´s a nice expression to say that it´s raining a lot (very, very much).

I hope that somebody can explain me the mening of these expressions -> “Call off the dogs” and “let sleeping dogs lie”

By: Dr. Lucy Tse

Dr. Lucy Tse — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:37:34 +0000

I don’t know why it’s “dogs” and not “dog.” Like most idioms, there isn’t a clear or obvious explanation. Perhaps if we look at their derivation (history of where they come from and how they developed), we may find out. But I don’t know the derivation of these idioms, unfortunately.

~ Lucy

By: BibyHanhNguyen

BibyHanhNguyen — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 03:40:13 +0000

My quetion is the same Emiliano: ” “Call off the dogs” and “let sleeping dogs lie” but why the plural?. Anybody can help me to explain??? Thanks in advance so much.

By: Dr. Lucy Tse

Dr. Lucy Tse — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 22:30:39 +0000

To answer a couple of your questions:

“Working like a dog” is an informal expression, but it has neutral (not good nor bad) or good associations, so you can use it even with your boss. For example:
Boss: When will you be finished with the report?
Employee: I’m working like a dog on it right now and should have it on your desk by the end of the day.

“Raining cats and dogs” is an older expression and we don’t hear it too often in everyday conversations. However, I still hear it once in a while and everybody knows what it means.

Thanks to everyone for their interesting comments!

By: cojonciano

cojonciano — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 19:57:43 +0000

I meant we use “working like a chinese” as a synonimous of “working like a dog” and not for “not to work”, in case I haven’t been clear enough

By: cojonciano

cojonciano — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 19:54:23 +0000

Here in Spain we often use “working like a chinese” (even most of the chinese inmigrants do, with a great sense of humor) and in my province (province = sort of a state) we say “working like a preacher” for not to work at all. Obviously preachers don’t use this idiom.

By: Ghasem

Ghasem — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 14:38:26 +0000

Many many thanks to lucy. I think expressions and proverbs are coming from cultures and languages and may have different burden of meaning in different countries with different cultures. Also they change with time and new ones are coming and some old ones are going, but some of them become permanent. This expression, working like a dog, is among old ones and is related to the times that dogs were working. Nowadays, dogs in the US do not do anything. They just eat and lye down on the floor and actually, they are so lazy.
In my counrty, Iran, donkey is the symbol of hard working, and also, stupidity. So, if we say “Sombody is working like a donkey, that means he/she is a hard worker, and, if we say somebody is like a donkey that means that he/she is stupid, but both have a negative impression, the second one more.

By: learner

learner — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 04:34:46 +0000

My god!!!!!!! thanks a lot Lucy for the important explanation.
if some body could encourage me by saying that I am working like a dog,
I would be so upset. because, in my country( Ethiopia) working like a dog means being so lazy.
when some body can do nothing. Isn’t amazinng?