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Dogs Expressions Mention Working Sense Bother Bad Sleeping

Id ESLPod_0024_CN
Episode Id ESLPod 24
Episode Title Taking Credit
Title Expressions About Dogs
Text

There are many expressions that mention dogs that may or may not have anything to do with dogs.

For example, if someone is working very, very hard, you may say that he or she is "working like a dog." Are dogs known for working hard? It's unclear, but this is a common expression.

Other expressions that mention dogs make a little more sense. If you want to leave things alone, to not bother someone or something because you are afraid of a bad result, you can say that you want to "let sleeping dogs lie." If a dog is sleeping, you may not want to bother it because if it wakes up, it may "bark" (for a dog to speak) or "bite" (use its teeth). Here's an example of how this expression is used:

A: "When will the boss give us a 'raise' (more money for working)? I'm going to ask her."

B: "If I were you, I would let sleeping dogs lie. With this bad economy, we are just as likely to get a 'pay cut' (reduction) as a pay raise!"

Here's another expression that makes some sense. If you want people to stop attacking or criticizing you, you can say, "Call off the dogs!" "To call off" means to stop or to cancel something. If one "presidential candidate" (someone who is officially trying to become the next president) criticizes the other for his/her past decisions, he/she might say, "Call off the dogs or we will start talking to the media about your family and your personal life."

Topics Business

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