1888. American Humorist, 31 Mar. The safe was rifled, and every
appearance of robbery was manifest. In this case the murderer was
discovered by means of a dog, which was described in the newspapers
as having certain peculiar scratches on it.
Verb (venery).—To copulate on all fours.
To go, or throw to the dogs.—See Go and Demnition Bow-wows.
Hair of the dog that bit you.—See Hair.
To blush like a blue dog.—See Blush.
Dogberry, subs. (common).—A stupid constable, or magistrate. [From Much
Ado about Nothing.] For synonyms, see Beak and Copper.
1864. M. E. Braddon, Aurora Floyd, ch. xxxviii. The detective had
reason to know that the dogberries of Doncaster, ... were on the
wrong scent.
1869. Gent. Mag., July, p. 195. I trust I shall not be accounted a
dogberry, lavish in my tediousness, if I bestow one more anecdote
upon my readers.
Dog Biting Dog, adv. phr. (theatrical).—Said of actors who spitefully
criticise each others performance.
Dog-Cheap, adj. (colloquial).—Very cheap; of little worth; foolish.
[Skeat: from Swed., dog, = very; Latham: the first syllable is god =
good, transposed + cheap, from chapman, a merchant—hence, a good
bargain (Fr., bon marché).]
1598. Shakspeare, 1 Henry IV., iii. 3. The sack ... would have
bought me lights as good-cheap at the dearest chandler’s in Europe.
1606. Dekker, Newes from Hell, in wks. (Grosart), ii., 116. Three
things there are dog-cheap, learning, poore men’s sweat, and
others.
1663. Dryden, Wild Gallant, Act II. No fat over-grown virgin of
forty ever offered herself so dog cheap, or was more despised.
1772. Foote, Nabob, Act II. dog-cheap; neck-beef; a penny-loaf for
a halfpenny.
1830. Marryat, Kings Own, ch. xxx. I’ll sell mine, dog-cheap, if
any one will buy it.
1851. Carlyle, John Sterling, pt. I., ch. x. There lay in a certain
neighbouring creek of the Irish coast, a worn-out royal gun-brig
condemned to sale, to be had dog-cheap.
Dog-Collar, subs. (common).—A ‘stand-up’ shirt collar; an all-rounder
(q.v.).
1883. Grenville-Murray, People I have Met, p. 42. The dog-collar
which rose above the black cloth was of spotless purity.
Dog-Drawn (old), adj. phr.—Said of a bitch from which a dog has been
removed by force during coition. Sometimes applied to women.
Dogger, verb (Charterhouse).—To cheat; to sell rubbish.
Doggery, subs. (popular).—1. Transparent cheating. Cf., dogger.
[Carlyle in Frederick uses doggery = the doings of a scurvy set of
soldiers.]