The Dog Days of Summer

By Terri Estes

When someone mentions the phrase, “the dog days of summer,” they are referring to the blistering heat and humidity that comes in July and August. The saying dates back to early Rome and Greece. The summer months coincided with the rising of Sirius, the Dog Star. During these early days, the time became known as “the dog days” and really has nothing to do with our panting canine friends in summer months.

Reading this got me wondering where some of these other animal phrases came from. For instance, “Who let the cat out of the bag?” This phrase usually refers to someone spilling a secret. But, back in Medieval times, farmers would sell pigs at markets in bags. Some unscrupulous farmers would put a cat in the bag instead of a pig. Pigs were much more valuable than cats, and if the buyer was smart, he would open the bag to check his purchase. When the bag was opened and a cat was in there, well… the cat was out of the bag!

Another interesting animal saying is “working like a dog.” I am pretty sure that every dog owner reading this article can agree with me when I say that our dogs do not work hard. As a matter of fact, they don’t work at all. But back in the olden days, many dogs worked from sunup ‘til sundown herding, hunting and guarding farms all over the world.

And what about the phrase “to chicken out”? It would seem straight forward. When you chase a chicken, it runs away, afraid of being slaughtered. This phrase actually has a more specific meaning. During the Union Army enlistment in the 1860s, when a person enlisted, he was given a chicken to take home and cook for his family. By taking the chicken, he was agreeing to return the next day and join the army. If he did not return, his name was printed in the paper to shame his family, and the saying arose that “he chickened out.”

Another common saying is “hair of the dog that bit you.” If you have overindulged in alcoholic beverages and woken up with a hangover, a friend may suggest the “hair of the dog,” to alleviate your symptoms. But the original meaning of this phrase dates back to medieval times when it was thought that the way to heal the bite from a rabid dog, was to put the hair of that rabid dog on the wound.

The origin of the phrase “it’s raining cats and dogs” comes from 17th century London. The streets were filthy and when the heavy rains came, it would flood the streets, carrying dead animals along with the water.

There are so many animal phrases. Some of them are straight forward, but many have historical meaning. It is just another reminder of our human/animal historical intertwinement. Our pets and animals have been by our side throughout the journey.