dog in the manger
English
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dog in the manger
Where it comes from
From a Greek fable about a dog preventing other animals from eating the hay in a manger, even though as a carnivore it could not eat the hay itself. Although the story was ascribed to Aesop's Fables in the 15th century, no ancient source does so. The phrase first appears in the writings of Diogenianus.
noun dogs in the manger · dogs in mangers
- Someone who denies to others something that the denier cannot use. No adjective is strong enough for characterizing this wicked dog-in-the-manger policy. From various sources I hear tales of such wanton destruction of nations' property in all parts of India.
Translations
Every language
noun one who denies to others something that he or she cannot use
| Español | ni come, ni deja comer, perro del hortelano |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 佔著茅坑不拉屎 /占着茅坑不拉屎 zhàn zhe máokēng bù lāshǐ |
| Français | Le Chien du jardinier |
| Deutsch | Neidhammel |
| Русский | соба́ка на се́не sobáka na séne |
Talk about this word "dog in the manger." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/dog%20in%20the%20manger. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. dog in the manger. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/dog%20in%20the%20manger "dog in the manger." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/dog%20in%20the%20manger.Cite this
@misc{dog_in_the_manger_2026,
title = {dog in the manger},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/dog%20in%20the%20manger},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
