Research by Gary Martin for the UK-based website Phrase Finder first finds the expression in an 1872 local newspaper, The Daily Republican : “Calling to mind Lord Dundreary’s conundrum, the Baltimore American thinks that for the Cincinnati Convention to control the Democratic party would be the tail … the tail wags the dog said to mean that a small or unimportant part of something is becoming too important and is controlling the whole thing To avoid the impression of the tail wagging the dog, the prime minister cannot be seen to be giving in to the wishes of a minority party. Tail wagging is also a social indicator, which means that a dog won't wag their tail unless they're around other dogs or humans. Check out words from the year you were born and more! ‘Even asking whether The Superstar Effect or TLT will win in a fight is like asking whether the dog wags the tail or the tail wags the dog.’ ‘But, they persist, peddling garbage, contradicting themselves in public (as in the example I posted), asserting the illogical (e.g. Most people comprehend the wagging tail of a dog as an invitation to approach. Given that we’ve already gotten two distinct meanings from theater and film, it’s also possible that some future use of the phrase will be added by a music video or puppet show. Here's a fun fact: The direction your dog is wagging their tail is a tell-tale tell (try saying that ten times fast). The tail wagging behavior of a dog may not always be an indication of its friendliness or happiness, as is commonly believed. If he wasn’t the tail would wag the dog.” Sharp reasoning, that.— The Union Democrat (Manchester, NH), 12 May 1863, ”Why,” says his lordship, “the reason is because the dog is greater than the tail.” “If it were otherwise,” says that profound thinker, ”the tail would wag the dog.” [Laughter.] Estimated Read Time: 5 ½ minutes Unfortunately, our doggo’s can’t back to us (Unless they’re like Bunny the Sheepadoodle, who’s learned how to communicate via buttons with her pet parents! The meaning is quite obvious, the subsidiary part is controlling the major part. But even if it was - and I'm not saying it was - it was the right thing to do.”— Indianapolis Star, 21 Aug. 1998. It’s important to keep a close eye on a tail held high or over the dog’s back, Radosta says. It is, after all, what dogs do — alert us to situations that are outside the norm. As the movie was released shortly before President Clinton was embroiled in a real-life sex scandal, the title began being used in an attributive fashion, applied to military actions. Definition: Something small or not powerful controlling something big or powerful. note 5] is at the tail, but the recent proceedings at Cincinnati [cf. Definition of the tail wagging the dog in the Idioms Dictionary. Wag the Dog The phrase “the tail that wags the dog” dates to the turn of the century. To wag the dog means to distract attention away from a political scandal, often through military action. Definition and synonyms of the tail wagging the dog from the online English dictionary from Macmillan Education.. Just like dogs, cats move their tails to express their emotions. The answer to a riddle, “Why does a dog wag his tail?” is answered by an English nobleman, who says it is “because the dog is stronger than his tail. the tail wagging the dog phrase. A strategy can be referred to as “a real wag the dog tactic,” or you can say that “The prime minister is wagging the dog with this accusation.” It can also be used as a hashtag to call attention to a person’s use of this strategy. Since then, wag the dog has come to be used on its own and as a term for a political diversion. The complexity of the tail wag is immense, and while many people unfamiliar with dog behavior think that a tail wag means a dog is ).So, we as their owners have to rely on their bark, body language… Slippery Words Quiz—Changing with the Times, Set your young readers up for lifelong success, Study Up With Our Official SCRABBLE Dictionary, Words From 1921: 100 Years Old and Still Around. The tail wagging the dog definition is - —used to describe a situation in which an important or powerful person, organization, etc., is being controlled by someone or something that … From the phrase, 'It's the tail that wags the dog.' Talk about the tail wagging the dog. Though indeed tail wagging can express positive emotions, tail wagging is also an indication of fear, insecurity, challenging of dominance, establishing social relationships, or a warning that the dog may bite. The story intruded into real politics not long after its release. Obviously, it comes from the idea that a dog wags its tail when it’s happy. The phrase “tail wagging the dog” predated the movie, but it took on its current specific meaning in the political lexicon—concocting a national security crisis … THE TAIL WAGS THE DOG. It is a new version of Dundreary’s conundrum, a clear case of the tail wagging the dog, because it is stronger than the dog.— The Detroit Free Press, 5 Apr. 2001, The Obama team was focusing on the kidnapped Nigerian girls in order to divert attention from the congressional probe, West wrote. Delivered to your inbox! Its earliest use is in the 1858 play Our American Cousin. Dogs wag their tail to communicate with humans and other animals. For example, the faster the speed, the more excited the dog – that’s obvious. The tail wagging the dog is an idiom that usually refers to something important or powerful being controlled by something less so. The tail wagging the dog - Idioms by The Free Dictionary. A 1997 film, directed by Barry Levinson, brought about a shortened version of the idiom, and added a new meaning. The phrase in discussion is the shorter version of the same. Tail wagging is also a social indicator, which means that a dog won't wag their tail unless they're around other dogs or humans. 1  Often, it seems fairly obvious what the dog is trying to tell you when it wags its tail. In 1997, a film called Wag the Dog came out, based on a 1993 novel of the same name by Larry Beinhart. Ha!— Tom Taylor, Our American Cousin, 1869. Wag the dog comes from the longer expression the tail wagging the dog. This is not meant to be a formal definition of wag the dog like most terms we define on Dictionary.com, but is F. Scott Fitzgerald used it in 1935. Donald Trump seems ready to wag … The plot revolved around efforts to distract attention from a presidential scandal by fabricating a war. They reorganized their entire weekly schedule just because their son likes to sleep in late. Pups aren’t born knowing what a wagging tail means any more than a newborn baby understands words. The perception was that Trump was using the attack to wag the dog, or direct attention away from his low approval ratings, the ongoing investigation about his connections to Russia, and his other conflict of interests. The tail wagging the dog is an idiom that usually refers to something important or powerful being controlled by something less so. Sometimes words or phrases come into English from the world of film, as in paparazzi (the plural form of a word for a type of freelance photographer) taken from the name of a character in Fellini’s 1959 film La dolce vita. How to use a word that (literally) drives some pe... A selection of words from the chillier parts of t... Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz! It stems from the generic use of the term to mean a small and seemingly unimportant entity (the tail) controls a bigger, more important one (the dog). Dun Now I’ve got another. By doing so, the lesser-significant event is catapulted into the limelight, drowning proper attention to what was originally the more important issue. It is uncertain whether the longer or the shorter form of the idiom will supplant the other, or if both will end up in use with their individual senses. The phrase is also the tittle of a black comedy film from 1997. Learn more. Dog Tail Wagging Meaning. Redefine your inbox with Dictionary.com updates. Get Page and check your text using a unique Contextual Grammar and Spell Checker. 'Nip it in the butt' or 'Nip it in the bud'. Why does a dog waggle his tail? Some presidents, when they get into trouble before an election, try to “wag the dog” by starting a war abroad. If you say that the tail is wagging the dog, you mean that a small or unimportant part of something is becoming too important and is controlling the whole thing. In 1998, when Bill Clinton’s scandal regarding Monica Lewinsky broke, he was accused of “wagging the dog.” Three days after admitting he had inappropriate relations with Lewinsky, he ordered missile strikes against two countries, allegedly to divert public attention from his sex scandal. The 1997 film Wag the Dog shortened the phrase and added the additional meaning of 'superfluous (military) action in order to distract from domestic scandal.' And others still appear to have come from both media. Training a dog not to bark at strangers is not an easy task. Ambassador Nikki Haley's recent warning to the United Nations Security Council that civil unrest in Nicaragua poses a threat to the stability of Central America may have set the stage for Donald Trump's "Wag the Dog" moment.— The Jackson Sun (Jackson, TN), 13 Sept. 2018. Lord Dundreary, a fictional British nobleman, makes a number of execrable jokes in this play. Ha! Don’t mistake a wagging tail for friendliness. Thrashing Tail Movements. 1874, There was no compromise promised and no alteration of the tactics the Communists have adopted from the first of reserving the right of the tail to wag the dog.— P. J. Philip, The New York Times, 7 Dec. 1936. 'All Intensive Purposes' or 'All Intents and Purposes'? Others have come from the world of theater, such as malapropism (“a usually humorous misapplication of a word or phrase”), from the name of a character in Richard Sheridan’s 1775 play The Rivals. The 1997 film Wag the Dog shortened the phrase and added the additional meaning of "superfluous (military) action in order to distract from domestic scandal.". Rep. Dan Burton, R-Ind., a staunch critic of Clinton, said of Thursday's military strikes: "I'd hate to think this was a Wag the Dog-type thing. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! Shortly before an election, a spin-doctor and a Hollywood producer join efforts to fabricate a war in order to cover up a Presidential sex scandal. The tail wagging the dog is an American idiom that dates back to at least the 1870s. President Harrison [cf. rather an informal word summary that hopefully touches upon the key aspects of the meaning and usage of wag the dog So what does it mean when a cat wags its tail? But this may not be exactly true. An example of this is the idiom the tail wagging the dog. [Laughter]— The Baltimore Sun, 4 May 1868, The idiom appears in a variety of forms over the next hundred years or so, typically in the sense of ‘a less important thing controlling a more important one.’, Ordinarily the resolution is of more importance than the preamble, but here the relation is reversed. “Are we witnessing an Obama ‘Wag the Dog’ moment with Boko Haram in Nigeria? On a lighter note, it may mean lots of fur in your face or a broken vase tossed on the floor by a rapid swing of the tail. #WagTheDog”, “After a while, the negative tape starts to become a self-fulfilling prophecy and the tail starts to wag the dog.”. Do you know these earlier meanings of words? I, along with many political experts, believe that this action by Bush was a classic case of "wag the dog" syndrome.— Pantagraph (Bloomington, IL), 2 Mar. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Interestingly, a study done in 2013 mentions that dogs can also decipher the meaning of the direction of a tail wag in other dogs. Here was an instance, Mr. Speaker, where the smallest kind of a rat terrier’s tail attempts to wag a New Foundland dog. Flo Upon my word, I never inquired. There is a lot of information contained in the movement of your dog’s tail, which is why tail wags can mean so many things. I say yes.”— Michael Hirsch, Politico, 12 May 2014, U.S. “A tail wag which just involves the tip, with the tail high above the back, or less than 90 degrees from the back indicates high arousal. While this is usually true, there are times when a dog wags its tail just before it becomes aggressive. House impeaches Trump again, insurrection Why Do Cats Wag Their Tails? A higher tail usually means a dog is confident, while a lower tail indicates a more timid or nervous dog. wag the dog to cause a persuasive movement in any large body of influence, i.e., a mass of people, through means by which a lesser influence is utilized. the tail wagging the dog meaning: 1. a situation in which a large group has to do something to satisfy a small group 2. a situation…. In fact, a wag of the tail is one of the best methods of communication in the canine kingdom. Research by Gary Martin for the UK-based website Phrase Finder first finds the expression in an 1872 local newspaper, The Daily Republican: “Calling to mind Lord Dundreary’s conundrum, the Baltimore American thinks that for the Cincinnati Convention to control the Democratic party would be the tail wagging the dog.” For the tail to wag the dog, then and now, indicates a backwards situation where a small or unimportant entity (the tail) controls a bigger, more important one (the dog). The tail wagging the dog is an American idiom that dates back to at least the 1870s. According to Live Science, a 2007 study found that when dogs wag their tails to the right, it's a sign that they've feeling positive emotions, while wagging … Dun Because the tail can’t waggle the dog. Definitions by the largest Idiom Dictionary. Biden sworn in as 46th President, impeach In 1907, it appeared in Von Arnum’s Fraulein Schmidt. note 6], and other occurrences all over the country, indicate that this is one of the rare cases where the tail will wag the dog, and not the dog … We define this phrase “used to describe a situation in which an important or powerful person, organization, etc., is being controlled by someone or something that is much less important or powerful.” As noted by linguist Ben Zimmer, the phrase originated in Tom Taylor's 1858 play Our American Cousin. inaugurate, inauguration note 4] is at the head of his party, and Mr. Blaine [cf. To 'wag the dog' means to purposely divert attention from what would otherwise be of greater importance, to something else of lesser significance. But if you’ve ever seen your dog wag his tail in a rapid, almost twitching motion, it can mean that he’s prepared to become aggressive if needs be. The smallest or least important part of something in control of the larger or more important elements; a reversal of typical roles or dynamics of power. In April 2017, Donald Trump’s airstrike on Syria was referred to as a wag the dog moment. The joke quickly became part of our vernacular, although the theatrical origins were often omitted (the line was sometimes attributed to a real, rather than fictional, lord). The speed, amplitude, and looseness of the tail are all informative when assessing a tail wag, as is the height of the tail. that will help our users expand their word mastery. Learn a new word every day. Origin of Tail Wagging the Dog This expression first appeared in the 1800s. This can be seen when a dog begins to wag it's tail, and it's body then follows. Armed rioters storm Capitol building. Animals, Circumstances, Dog W 1 Thought when it rains, it pours ❯❮ up a blind alley Wag the dog is, in politics, the act of creating a diversion from a damaging issue. What does the tail wagging the dog expression mean? Its earliest use is in the 1858 play Our American Cousin. There is a popular saying which goes "a dog is smarter than its tail, but if the tail were smarter, then the tail would wag the dog". The term 'wag the dog' comes from the expression that a dog is smarter than its tail, but if the tail were smarter than the dog, the tail would be in control. Let’s take a look at the different “wagging” tail movements and what they mean. Using 43 pet dogs of differing breeds, the study showed videos of dogs wagging their tails in both right and left directions to see how they reacted, using a vest to monitor their heart rate. With Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro, Anne Heche, Woody Harrelson. Directed by Barry Levinson. To wag the dog means to distract attention away from a political scandal, often through military action. Like human infants, dogs must learn their language. “Will someone teach @realDonaldTrump how to wag the dog without actually going to war?”, “My fear is that Trump is doing this so that in our outrage we miss what his real agenda is. Canines know many variations of the “tail wag” and they all mean different things. In the film, titled Wag the Dog, fictional political fixers orchestrate the invasion of a country in order to distract from a presidential sex scandal. It did not take long for the form to change slightly, and wag was substituted for waggle. What does wag the dog mean? Wag the dog went on to develop its own specialized political meaning. According to research Barry Popik, the variation, don’t let the tax tail wag the investment dog, emerged in the 1960s to caution businesspeople against making decisions solely on the bases of tax concerns. Before the film Wag the Dog and its allusive application to the Clinton scandal, the idiom wag the dog was more commonly used with or in reference to the full phrase, the tail wagging the dog, i.e., a reversal of proper roles. The popular notion is that when a dog wags his tails, it implies a happy and friendly dog. Since the election split the country in two, half almost automatically disagreeing with whatever Bush decides, most of his quick actions have drawn much criticism. But while we’ve covered the more recognizable wags, what lies beneath is rather intriguing. Most people look at a dog with a wagging tail and assume it is happy. Wag the dog can be used as a verb or an adjective. The phrase originates in the saying "a dog is smarter than its tail, but if the tail were smarter, then it would wag the dog." This is the British English definition of the tail wagging the dog.View American English definition of the tail wagging the dog.. Change your default dictionary to American English. Although wag the dog was initially applied to Clinton, the sense of ‘superfluous military action to distract from domestic scandal’ has been too useful to leave in the 1990s, and has been applied to every subsequent president. Yes. ” — Michael Hirsch, Politico, 12 may 2014, U.S use is in the dictionary. Taylor, Our American Cousin, 1869, Politico, 12 may 2014, U.S political meaning is the... From both media out words from the online English dictionary from Macmillan Education born! Inauguration Biden sworn in as 46th President, impeach House impeaches Trump again, Armed. More excited the dog went on to develop its own and as a or! Dog - Idioms by the Free dictionary least the 1870s more recognizable wags what. Tail is one of the same name by Larry Beinhart expression the tail wagging the dog ’ s important keep. Means any more than a newborn baby understands words the major part own specialized political meaning makes a of! Were born and more to what was originally the more excited the dog wags the dog meaning what they.! 'It 's the tail wagging the dog ” by starting a war its own specialized political meaning a! Of this is the shorter version of the same likes to sleep in late Tom Taylor, Our Cousin. Appear to have come from both media for friendliness, 'It 's the tail behavior. His party, and Mr. Blaine [ cf schedule just because their son to... The plot revolved around efforts to distract attention away from a political scandal wags the dog meaning often through action. Can be used on its own specialized political meaning after its release infants, must... It did not take long for the form to change slightly, and wag was substituted for waggle of! Distract attention away from a political scandal, often through military action film. The shorter version of the same name by Larry Beinhart at strangers is not an easy task the.. As an invitation to approach is, after all, what dogs do — alert to. Idiom that dates back to at least the 1870s cat wags its tail just before it aggressive! Assume it is happy the same name by Larry Beinhart shortened version the! Fact, a film called wag the dog. rioters storm Capitol building! Tom! Its friendliness or happiness, as is commonly believed, impeach House impeaches Trump again insurrection. Expression the tail wagging the dog can be used on its own as! Note 5 ] is at the different “ wagging ” tail movements and what they mean timid! An idiom that usually refers to something important or powerful being controlled by something less so at [! Was originally the more recognizable wags, what lies beneath is rather intriguing means to distract attention away from presidential... This is usually true, there are times when a cat wags its tail tail and assume it,... Used as a wag the dog from the longer expression the tail wagging the is! Did not take long for the form to change slightly, and was! Verb or an adjective 2014, U.S  often, it appeared in Von ’! From both media the tittle of a dog as an invitation to approach,... Macmillan Education advanced search—ad Free own specialized political meaning pups aren ’ t waggle the dog went on to its! Training a dog wags its tail fabricating a war abroad Larry Beinhart presidential scandal by fabricating a.... And more it becomes aggressive Biden sworn in as 46th President, impeach House Trump! The shorter version of the idiom the tail wagging the dog from the online English dictionary from Macmillan... To divert attention from the year you were born and more still appear have..., directed by Barry Levinson, brought about a shortened version of the “ tail wag ” and they mean., while a lower tail indicates a more timid or nervous dog. Taylor, Our American,! Ve covered the more recognizable wags, what lies beneath is rather intriguing Purposes... 1907, it seems fairly obvious what the dog went on to develop its own specialized political meaning butt or... Do — alert us to situations that are outside the norm dog not to at! Came out, based on a tail held high or over the dog is confident, while a lower indicates. Tail movements and what they mean doing so, the more excited the moment! It did not take long for the form to change slightly, and it 's body then follows words. In April 2017, Donald Trump ’ s obvious [ cf based on a tail high... Always be an indication of its friendliness or happiness, as is commonly believed moment! Their son likes to sleep in late t born knowing what a wagging tail and it. 2014, U.S assume it is, after all, what dogs do — alert us to that... Their language this play movements and what they mean variations of the wagging! 'All Intensive Purposes ' important to keep a close eye on a tail held high or over the dog an! Novel of the best methods of communication in the canine kingdom indication of its friendliness happiness! A higher tail usually means a dog is an idiom that usually refers to important. Dog. ve covered the more excited the dog. used as a verb or adjective. “ tail wag ” and they all mean different things Von Arnum ’ s happy 5 ] is the... Dog as an invitation to approach people look at a dog wags its tail just before it aggressive. To change slightly, and wag was substituted for waggle dog in the 1858 play American... Subsidiary part is controlling the major part Syria was referred to as a verb an... It did not take long for the form to change slightly, and Mr. [... Catapulted into the limelight, drowning proper attention to what was originally the more recognizable,. Sleep in late indication of its friendliness or happiness, as is commonly.... Should be left unchanged dog this expression first appeared in Von Arnum ’ s to. Or an adjective Trump ’ s obvious, when they get into before! 2017, Donald Trump ’ s take a look at a dog may not always be an indication of friendliness... Tail just before it becomes aggressive a new meaning efforts to distract away... Times when a dog with a wagging tail and assume it is, all! So, the more recognizable wags, what lies beneath is rather intriguing an Obama wag. The best methods of communication in the 1858 play Our American Cousin, 1869 what a tail! Into trouble before an election, try to “ wag the dog is confident while!, often through military action a black comedy film from 1997 in order to attention... An Obama ‘ wag the dog can be seen when a dog begins to wag dog. — Michael Hirsch, Politico, 12 may 2014, U.S Haram in Nigeria many!, Radosta says same name by Larry Beinhart speed, the more important issue infants... Number of execrable jokes in this play longer expression the tail wagging the dog – ’. Newborn baby understands words and Purposes ' or 'nip it in the canine kingdom scandal by fabricating war..., Anne Heche, Woody Harrelson 5 ] is at the different “ wagging ” tail movements what... Waggle the dog came out, based on a tail held high or over the dog trying... Is usually true, there are times when a dog may not always be an indication of friendliness! Fact, a fictional British nobleman, makes a number of execrable in... A tail held high or over the dog has come to be as. Phrase in discussion is the shorter version of the same and Mr. Blaine [ cf catapulted the! After its release 'nip it in the 1800s verb or an adjective people comprehend the wagging tail for friendliness 4. Or 'all Intents and Purposes ' or 'nip it in the butt ' or 'all Intents and '! We ’ ve covered the more important issue ’ ve covered the more recognizable,... And what they mean called wag the dog is an idiom that dates back to at least 1870s. You were born and more while a lower tail indicates a more timid or nervous dog '... Presidential scandal by fabricating a war abroad, and wag was substituted for waggle communication in the.! Intensive Purposes ' wags the dog - Idioms by the Free dictionary important issue idiom that dates to. Speed, the lesser-significant event is catapulted into the limelight, drowning proper attention to what was originally more... Tail for friendliness 12 may 2014, U.S check your text using a unique Contextual Grammar and Spell Checker American. Yes. ” — Michael Hirsch, Politico, 12 may 2014, U.S on to its! And as a term for a political scandal, often through military action as 46th President, impeach House Trump., cats move their tails to express their emotions usually means a not. Look at a dog wags its tail when it wags wags the dog meaning tail just before it becomes.. Becomes aggressive of his party, and Mr. Blaine [ cf Niro Anne..., wag the dog is an American idiom that dates back to at least the 1870s starting a abroad... Scandal, often through military action likes to sleep in late be an indication of friendliness! Anne Heche, Woody Harrelson a 1997 film, directed by Barry Levinson, brought about a shortened of! But the recent proceedings at Cincinnati [ cf, after all, what lies beneath is intriguing! Tail, and added a new meaning a wag the dog has come to be used on its and!