Dog eat dog
Suggest a CorrectionMeaning
A ruthless, cutthroat world where everyone fights for themselves.
Origin
From 16th-century England, in a 1543 Latin proverb; 'canis canem edit'-dog eats dog, English by 1794 in a sailor's tale. By 1850s slang, it hit business, as in an 1870s 'Times' on trade wars. It grew into a fierce idiom of dogfights in a scrappy age.
Variants
- Dog-eat-dog
- Eat dog
Usage Examples
- This industry's dog eat dog; watch your back.
- It's dog eat dog out there; only the tough win.
- Dog eat dog in sales; steal or be stolen.
Browse More