Proverbially Barking... Trivia Quiz

Answer: They have no use for something, but still won't let someone else use it

If someone is referred to as a "dog in the manger," quite bluntly put, it just means they're being selfish. This saying comes from a fable by Aesop, where an ox wanted to eat the food out of a manger, but a dog sitting on top of the manger wouldn't let him, even though he had no use for it either.

Answer: lie

This saying means don't disturb what doesn't need to be disturbed. Don't stir up trouble, and leave well enough alone.

Answer: Every dog has his day

The correct answer here would be "Every dog has his day." "Dog eat dog" essentially means that everyone must fight their own battles. "To put on dog" means to behave in a very conceited way, and to "lead a dog's life" means to be constantly on the move, and never getting any peace.

Answer: Believing the wrong explanation for something

If someone is barking up the wrong tree, it basically means that they are looking for something that isn't there, and to be believing the wrong explanation for something. A good example would be, "She didn't say that. Her friends are barking up the wrong tree." Another non-doggy saying that may tie in with this is to "get the wrong end of the stick."

Answer: To be in disfavor

If you are "in the doghouse," you have shamed yourself quite badly, and are in disgrace. This saying may come from the book "Peter Pan," where Mr Darling (the children's father) lived in a doghouse (kennel) until his children returned home, as he felt he was in disgrace.

Answer: False

The proverb that I'm talking about here is "You can't teach an old dog new tricks." This proverb is basically suggesting old people can't adapt to new things, or new ways of doing things. A little bit unfair and untrue if you ask me!

Answer: Their bark is worse than their bite

If someone has a "bark worse than their bite," it basically means that they will make a whole lot of idle threats (e.g. "I'll kill her,") but never actually carry them out. In other words, what comes out of their mouth is much worse than what they actually do in real life.

Answer: The drink that you have in the morning to cure a hangover

There is a theory that, in order to properly cure the stinking headache you'll have in the form of a hangover after one too many drinks the night before, you have a drink in the morning, and this will cause the headache to go away. Not sure if it really works, though.

But anyway, "the hair of the dog that bit you" is the "cure" drink that people have in order to get rid of any headaches they have after too much partying.

Answer: Don't keep dogs and bark yourself

What would the point of getting dogs be if you didn't need that extra little bit of love and attention and you already had a perfectly good security system installed? This is pretty much the same concept as hiring someone to do something (say, catering,) and then doing everything yourself, like the place settings and all the cooking.

It would just be pointless, and this proverb aims to show people that.

Answer: cats

If there is a major storm happening, people refer to it as "raining cats and dogs." In old mythology, a cat was a symbol for storms, and the dog was a symbol for strong winds. It is believed that this is where the saying comes from.

Answer: It's messy

If someone tells you that a piece of work that you have done looks like a dog's breakfast, let me assure you, it is NOT a compliment. In fact, it is good reason to go and redo the entire thing (unless, of course, the person who said this to you is a known complainer!)

Answer: If you associate with bad people, you will gain their faults

Too true. If you associate with the "wrong kind of people," studies show that there is a high chance that you will pick up their habits, whether they be swearing, drugs or whatever. So remember this saying, because I believe it is very true.

Answer: Yes

"Love me, love my dog." Quite simply put, this means that if you love someone, you must be prepared to love anything that comes with them and anything that belongs to them.

Answer: They're dishonest

If someone is "crooked," it generally means that they are dishonest and are not to be trusted AT ALL. And considering that a dog's hind leg IS fairly crooked, it was a good idea to mix the two together to create this wonderful simile.

Answer: It's gotten worse than it was before

It is generally said of something that has been getting progressively worse that it has "gone to the dogs," and is in a bad state, due to whatever reasons.