Other articles with keyword "DOGGIEPING" since 12/29/04
Posted on 07/16/2006 8:08:33 PM PDT by Graybeard58
Dogs appear in more than a few idiomatic expressions, the origins and meanings of which many of us might not realize.
Dog fight: A close range aerial combat. During World War I, two aircraft would maneuver themselves to better fire at one another. The sight looked like two dogs chasing tails.
Three-dog night: The Australian aborigines, and others, slept with dogs to keep themselves warm. So, a three-dog night was considered especially chilly. It's also the name of an American rock band from the 1960s and 70s.
Dog days: Hot summer days. Ancient Egyptians and Romans noticed the brightest star in the sky, Sirius, or the dog star, rose and set with the sun on the hottest day of the year.
Barking up the wrong tree: An incorrect lead of assumption. During foxhunts, hounds would chase foxes up into trees and bark at the trunk. If the fox fooled the hound, the dog would be "barking up the wrong tree."
Take a dog leg: A change of course, also refers to the bend in a dog's leg.
Every dog has its day: Everyone gets the upper hand at some point. The origins of this one are a little dark. In 405 B.C., the Greek playwright Euripides was mauled and killed by a pack of dogs that his rival set on him.
The tail wagging the dog: When the least important part of a situation has too much influence over the most important part. For example, when a social scandal leads to war.
Did you know?
A dog with a flat face is less efficient at cooling itself and needs to be protected against possible heat strokes.
A curled up tail, as seen on a Pomeranian, does not occur in wolves. Russians experimented in breeding tamer fox breeds for the fur industry, which resulted in floppy ears and spotty coats like dogs.
Dogs have a keen sense of hearing, and can detect sounds at a much higher pitch than humans. They can move the muscles in their ears to better pick up sounds. Dogs with upright, funnel-shaped ears like German shepherds are better at amplifying sounds than dogs with floppy ears, like beagles.
Dogs can not detect the colors red and orange.
Dogs can detect scents that are 100 to 1 million times weaker than humans can. While humans can tune into one conversation across a crowded room, a dog can be trained to pick one scent from a world of smells. Because of this, dogs are often used to sniff out avalanche victims, drugs, explosives.
Ping.
Thought your "doggy ping list" might be interested in this.
Well I be doggone... that's something I did not know. There was a story of a lost child some time back who had his dog to keep him warm as the temp plummeted, and likely kept him alive. Many of the other expressions are fairly intuitive.
Interesting 'doggie' things.
Thanks HOTD.
Great doggie trivia!
>>Sirius, or the dog star
Note also the logo of Sirius satellite radio (has dog)
Dog fans should enjoy this video based on April Lavigne's
I'm With You with an adorable puppet puppy. Aww...
http://youtube.com/watch?v=QJoAeRawVmk
I just spent the last three minutes chasing my puppy around the yard trying to get a beach towel out of his mouth. I have another dog expression but it's not very friendly.
Django.
We bought him as a 7 week old puppy on July 1, 2000. Every day since--literally every day--he has made me laugh. He's a goofy clown and lovable as they come.
Sirius is also the logo of our local dog agility group:
"Dogs with upright, funnel-shaped ears like German shepherds are better at amplifying sounds than dogs with floppy ears, like beagles."
Well, duh! Try holding your hand over your ear. Now actually cup your hand face-forward around your ear. Which is better? (It's not so much "amplifying" as channeling as much sound as possible.)
SOB? Especially if it's a "he"?
"Three dog night.."
Way back farther thatn I care to admit, teenagers, going to concerts and other attractions, would brag when the police brought out canine patrols.
A "three dog night" was a pretty good time.
Yes, he's a male but SOB is a lot more polite than I was leaning. Hahahaha. He's just over 4 months and weighs almost 40 lbs. He could basically carry my pool around the backyard if the mood struck him.
Aw, what a cutie! One of ours is a boxer/shar pei and he is seriously silly. Sometimes he looks very serious..then he starts rolling around on his back and snorting. I laugh so hard when he plays with our other dog, Patches.
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