My 20-year-old son was home on winter break, typing away frantically on his computer.
He was applying for summer internships and filling out forms online for several hours.
My husband remarked, I’m proud of you.
Youve spent your time off working like a dog.
Hearing my husband say this made me chuckle.
I realized that I had never seen a hard-working dog at all.
In fact, most dogs that I know are the opposite of hard-working.
They mostly sleep, eat, sniff and play.
So how did working like a dog become a saying?
And what about other animal comparisons that on first hearing might seem to make no sense?
The phrase’sexact originis unknown, but there are several possibilities.
The phrase also may refer to the fact that when dogs work hard, they receive no pay.
Dog Days of Summer
These are the days of blistering heat and humidity during July and August.
The phrasedates backto ancient Rome and Greece.
Those months of sweltering weather coincide with the rising of Sirius, the Dog Star.
The idea is that the way to cure a hangover is to drink some more.
But that is not theoriginal meaningof this saying.
But has anyone ever stored a cat in a bag?
The answer is yes.
Back in Medieval England,farmers wouldsell pigs at the market.
