You lucky dog!

[Anna Kazimierowicz]

I'm thinking about some paradox. We all love dogs and  know that they are wonderful creatures, our best friends...

But in our languages (I mean first of all mine)  there are plenty of phrases, also idiomatic expressions, proverbs with a dog in very negative context or meaning. Linquists say that languages change slower than a world around us. A houndred years ago our attitude to dogs was more like objects. The life of the dogs was definitely tougher, they were first of all  functional, working. And in the lanquage is recorded  this time. 

In Polish still  there is a lot of negative expressions with a dog. Some are similar to English: "to lead a dog's life", "you dirty dog!", "to treat somebody like a dog", "to go to the dogs", "dog in the manger".  Poor dog is involved as a subject in many others. We use him to bad-mouth somebody ("wieszać na kimś psy"), to lie through one's teeth ("łgać jak pies"), to serve faithfully ("służyć jak pies"), to call inedible mushrooms, foul weather....We even call cop a dog - "pies". Dog is used as a part of many curses too.

I went through English vocabulary and found a lot of bad phrases. And only few fine, f.e  "dog days" - I like it!

How is in your languages, your tradition, your culture. Do you have more positive expressions with a dog.

Maybe we should create new phrases, new expressions to voice our care, enthusiasm and love for dogs. As James has said: Life is better with a setter! What next...

[Anna Kazimierowicz]

Thanks Finn and Rhonda.

We use "a sea wolf"  so very close:-)

Two next expressions are great. Second one I can change in  my would-be  excuse for traffic police: "Kasia ate my glasses". So one dark November day (and night) I had to drive car in sunglasses!