To bark at a knot means to engage in foolish or futile activity, like a dog yapping at a knothole on a tree. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Bark at a Knot” I came across an expression the other day that describes the...
My dogs are barking means “My feet hurt” or “My feet are tired.” As early as 1913, cartoonist Tad Dorgan was using the term dogs to mean “feet.” If your “dogs” in this sense are “barking,” it’s as if they’re seeking your attention. This is part of a...
A Zionsville, Indiana, man recalls that when his mother issued a warning to her kids, she would add for emphasis: “And that’s the word with the bark on it.” The bark in this case refers to rough-hewn wood that still has bark on...
Keeping something at bay comes from the baying sound that hunting dogs make when they’ve got their prey in a standoff. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Keeping At Bay” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi, this is...
Sell wolf tickets, also found as sell woof tickets, means to make loud, boastful threats without much behind them. In African American English, the companion phrase buy wolf tickets means to take those threats seriously. Geneva Smitherman, a...
A woman who grew up in India says she was baffled when someone with aching feet complained, “My dogs are barking.” The answer may lie in a jocular rhyme. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “My Dogs are Barking”...