Meaning
That idea, excuse, or plan is not convincing and will not work. Current, folksy, and dismissive Regional use: United States, strongly associated with Southern speech.
Origin
A folksy American metaphor comparing a failed proposal with an unwilling or poorly trained hunting dog. The exact wording is documented in an 1843 Washington newspaper letter about presidential politics. It had a British predecessor, that cock won't fight, but the hunting-dog form developed in the United States and was already productive enough for the editor to extend the joke.
Research Sources
References used to check this entry’s meaning, history, or documented forms.
Variants
- the dog won't hunt
- this dog won't hunt
Usage Examples
- Calling the missing funds a rounding error? That dog won't hunt.
- The engineers reviewed his shortcut and agreed that this dog would not hunt.