In the 'Dog' Box Trivia Quiz

Answer: dog and pony show

This colloquial term is used to describe an elaborate, often overly flashy, presentation or event designed to impress or sway the audience's opinion, but lacking substance or significant content. Think smoke and mirrors or making a song and a dance about something. In other words, it refers to any situation where a lot of effort is put into creating an impressive display, often with the intention of diverting attention away from more substantive issues. Today the term is used to express disdain or lack of trust in what is being presented.

The term originated in the 19th and early 20th centuries when traveling circuses and vaudeville acts were popular forms of entertainment in the United States. These shows often featured a variety of acts, including trained dogs and ponies. The combination of a dog and pony act was a common and crowd-pleasing element of these shows. The oldest dog and pony show was "Morris' Equine and Canine Paradoxes" which began touring in 1883.

Answer: dog days

If you have ever watched a dog stretched out on a hot day, seemingly comatose, then you can understand how the phrase "dog days of summer" came about. It refers to the hottest and most sultry period of summer, typically occurring in July and early August in the Northern Hemisphere, where it is too hot to be bothered with anything energetic. The origin of the term can be traced back to ancient Greek and Roman astronomy when it gained popularity after being referenced by Homer in his great poem, "Iliad".

Sirius, the "Dog Star", is the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major, which is Latin for "Greater Dog". It is the star that represents the hound of the hunter Orion in the eponymous constellation. The ancient Greeks and Romans associated the hottest days of summer with the rising of this star. The period when Sirius rises and sets with the sun became known as the "dog days" because the ancients believed that the combined heat of Sirius and the sun contributed to the sweltering summer temperatures.

Answer: dog-eat-dog

The phrase "dog-eat-dog" is used to describe a highly competitive and cutthroat situation where people are willing to do anything to succeed, even if it means harming others. The origin of this expression can be traced back to the world of dog fighting, where the phrase likely originated in the 16th century in English. The idea behind it is that, in a fiercely competitive environment, individuals act like dogs in a fight, where the goal is to prevail at any cost, even if it means attacking or undermining others. In that era, dogs were considered to be cruel natured. Shakespeare, in "King Lear", describes dogs as "base, unmannered, thievish, mangy, hellish, coward, rascal, bloody." However, although the second Oxford English Dictionary contains a quote from 1858, referring to an old proverb that states "Dog does not eat dog", the original meaning of the phrase seems to have stuck.

The phrase entered common usage and has given rise to the eggcorn, which is a misheard word or phrase, "a doggy dog world" to show disdain and contempt for situations of ruthless self-interest.

Answer: dogfight

The term "dogfight" to describe a fast and fierce aerial combat between two or more planes has its origins in the early years of aviation, particularly during World War I. The phrase draws an analogy between the maneuvers and tactics employed by fighter planes in combat and the close-quarters, unpredictable nature of a fight between dogs.

As with a number of historical "firsts", opinions vary depending which source you consult as to where the first dogfight happened. One of the contenders for the title is a 1913 incident that occurred during the Mexican Revolution when two American pilots, who happened to be on opposing sides of the war, fired guns at each during flight. I'm happy to report that both escaped the encounter unscathed. Another happened during the Battle of Cer which took place between 15-24 August 1914, when a Serbian aviator was fired upon by an Austro-Hungarian pilot brandishing a revolver. He produced a pistol of his own and fired back. Within a short span of time, both Serbian and Austro-Hungarian planes were fitted with machine-guns.

At the outbreak of World War I, air combat was a relatively new concept and the term "dogfight" gained popularity during this era. Today, it is widely used to refer to any intense and dynamic aerial engagement between aircraft, regardless of the technology or time period involved. Dog fights are characterized by speed and maneuverability that requires both immense handling skill and a cool, clear head by the pilots involved. They are a number of maneuvers used in this type of engagement including the Barrel Roll, High Yo-Yo, Flat Scissors and the Immelmann Turn.

Answer: dogmatic

The term "dogmatic" is an adjective that describes a person or a statement characterized by an unwavering and assertive expression of beliefs, doctrines, or principles, often in a way that implies a refusal to consider alternative perspectives or evidence. Dogmatic individuals typically rigidly follow a set of rules no matter what evidence is presented to the contrary.

The origin of the word "dogmatic" can be traced back to the Greek word "dogma," which means "that which one thinks is true" or "a decree." In ancient Greece, "dogma" referred to authoritative teachings or doctrines, especially those proclaimed by philosophical schools or religious authorities. The term was later adopted into Latin as "dogmaticus" and eventually entered English as "dogmatic". The earliest known use of the word in the early 1600s and the OED's earliest recorded evidence for "dogmatic" is from 1605, in the writing of Thomas Tymme, an English clergyman, translator and author, who had very fixed and strong views on certain subjects and let people know about them.

Being dogmatic can be seen as both a strength and a weakness. On one hand, it can convey confidence and certainty in one's convictions. On the other hand, excessive dogmatism may hinder open-mindedness and a willingness to consider alternative viewpoints, potentially leading to inflexibility and a lack of intellectual exploration. Now why does that sound like any number of public figures across the world.

Answer: doggy bag

Hands up all those who have ever arrived at a restaurant hungry, then realised about halfway through the meal that maybe their eyes might have been bigger than their belly when they ordered, and who have then discreetly (or not) signalled to the waiter that a "doggy bag" would be most appreciated.

The term "doggy bag" refers to a bag or container provided by a restaurant for a customer to take home any leftover food from their meal, ostensibly to feed their pet. The origin of the term is not entirely clear, but it became popular during the mid-20th century. One common explanation is that the term originated during World War II when food shortages were a common thing. In 1943, an entrepreneurial cafe in San Francisco, conscious of the number of pets going hungry and trying to prevent animal cruelty, started offering patrons "Pet Packits" to take home any leftovers and the practice caught on.

The "doggy bag" as we know it was born, and soon became common practice despite the disapproval of that guru of etiquette, Emily Post, who opined in 1968 that she did "not approve of taking leftover food such as pieces of meat home from restaurants". "Doggy bags" have ranged from small paper packets to efficient polystyrene boxes to the elaborate animal shapes made from aluminium foil that certain restaurants liked to present to their patrons. I fondly remember a beautiful swan that I was once handed.

Answer: dogsbody

The term "dogsbody" is used to describe someone who is assigned to perform menial or routine tasks, often without much recognition or appreciation. In the United States such a person would be known as a "gofer" or a "grunt". They are the juniors paying their dues by doing all those tasks that no-one else wants to do.

The origin of the term is not entirely clear, but it has been in use since the early 20th century. The most popular theory is that the term "dogsbody" may have originated in the Royal Navy where it was used to refer to junior sailors or stewards who were responsible for performing various chores and tasks aboard the ship. The Royal Navy used dried peas boiled in a bag known as pease pudding as a staple food. Sailors called this dish "dog's body" in a comparison to a dog's breakfast and it came to refer to those performing the thankless tasks.

The term has not always had a derogatory slant, though. In World War II, the great fighter pilot, Douglas Bader, used the call sign "dogsbody" in a play on his initials "DB" which were painted on the side of his Spitfire aircraft. However, in today's English usage, it is commonly used as it originated.

Answer: hangdog

The term "hangdog" is an adjective used to describe a facial expression or demeanor that conveys shame, guilt, or a sense of defeat. To picture this expression, look no further than Droopy, the anthropomorphic white basset hound with a droopy face created in 1943 by Tex Avery or the actor Walter Matthau about whom Jack Lemmon once said "His face was hangdog until it lit up in a smile and then the sun came out." A person with a hangdog expression typically appears sad, dejected, or sheepish. The inimitable PG Wodehouse summed it perfectly when he said "...the shifty, hangdog look which announces that an Englishman is about to talk French."

The origin of the term is somewhat literal and can be traced back to the imagery associated with the appearance of a hanged or hanging dog, although it is not clear whether the word "hangdog" refers to someone who is so lowly that his job is to hang a dog or to the expression on a condemned dog's face.The word has been in use since the 17th century, and it has evolved over time to encompass not only the facial expression, but also the overall demeanor and attitude of someone who appears defeated or ashamed.

Answer: dog in the manger

The phrase "dog in the manger" is applied to one who prevents others from enjoying or using something despite having no use for it themselves. They have a spiteful and mean-spirited approach to life. The phrase is believed to have originated from one of "Aesop's Fables", although the first written record of it appears in the works of Diogenianus. Aesop was an ancient Greek storyteller who is believed to have lived around the 6th century BCE. His fables are short stories that often feature animals as characters and convey moral lessons about life.

In the fable of "The Dog in the Manger", the story tells of a dog that lies in a manger filled with hay to prevent the cattle from eating the hay even though the dog, being a carnivore, has no use for it. The story ends with the dog being reprimanded and chased from the manger by the cattle's owner. The moral of the story is often interpreted as a warning against selfishness and a refusal to allow others to enjoy or benefit from something that one has no use for. In other words, do not grudge others what you cannot enjoy yourself.

Answer: hair of the dog

A "hair of the dog" is a drink that you take on the morning after the night before when all thoughts of moderation in your alcohol consumption went by the wayside and you are now paying the penalty. It is a colloquial expression that typically refers to the practice of consuming a small amount of alcohol, often the same type of beverage that caused a hangover, as a way to alleviate or cure the symptoms of a hangover. The full phrase is "the hair of the dog that bit you."

It is believed that the origin of the phrase can be traced back to an ancient folk remedy for rabies. The idea was that if a dog bit someone, applying a piece of the dog's hair to the wound would prevent or cure the illness. Over time, this concept evolved into the notion that a small amount of the substance that caused a problem could also be used to cure it. The first known use of the phrase in this manner can be found in a collection of proverbs written by John Heywood in 1546.

Despite there being little or indeed no scientific evidence that the "hair of the dog" works, the belief that it does has remained strong throughout the world with various concoctions being touted. Although there is no one specific recipe that is recommended, a Bloody Mary cocktail did feature rather prominently in the suggestions. In South Africa, one of the favourite ingredients used by those in the know to make their "hair of the dog" is a rather sickly-sweet bright green coloured soft drink called Cream Soda. Having tasted the said drink, I would rather suffer the hangover if necessary.