What is the dog eat dog type of world
It's a Dog-Eat-Dog (Not Doggy Dog) World: But Why Are DogsInvolved?
A doggy dog world may sound like an absolute dream (or nightmare if youre a cat person). However, as pleasant as a doggy dog world might be, the expression is actually dog-eat-dog world. A less pleasant image, for sure, but thats sort of the whole point.
Dog-eat-dog is an idiom that applies to people who are ruthless and will do anything to get ahead. A dog-eat-dog world is one in which everyone is out for their own personal gain, whether or not their success hurts other people. The expression is synonymous with an every man for himself or survival of the fittest mentality. Basically, its Darwinism in action the strongest comes out on top, and a Doberman typically wins in a fight against a chihuahua.
The origins of this idiom can be traced back to ancient Rome as early as 43 B.C., in the writings of Roman scholar Marcus Terentius Varro. In De Lingua Latina (The Latin Language) he recorded the Latin proverb "canis caninam non est" or a dog does not eat the flesh of a dog. According to this proverb, even a dog has its limits.
The meaning of dogs not eating each other continued through the 16th century, as seen in the essay Bellum Erasmi by Erasmus where he wrote, one dogge eatethe not an nother. In 1732, Historian Thomas Fuller wrote in Gnomologia, Dogs are hard drove when they eat dogs. This brings us a little closer to a world where the dog eats the dog, but it was not until the 19th century that the expression we all know and love well, maybe not love, but use first appeared.
So how did we get from proverbs about dogs not eating other dogs to its opposite: dog eat dog? Quite simply, there isnt a definitive answer, but a variation where the dog does eat the dog was recorded in The Examiner on December 5, 1813.
All the trade and commerce we are to have is among one another: if any body makes money, he must make it, not by his enterprise in foreign commerce, but out of his own countrymen. Dog eat dog, is now our commercial motto and practice; no duties being collectable from foreign commerce, it is very clear, that all the money wanted by government must be produced by taxes.
While we dont have an exact answer as to why the dog went from not eating the dog to eating the dog, it appears that by the time the 20th century rolled around, dog-eat-dog was here to stay.
Some people mistakenly say doggy dog world instead of dog-eat-dog world. The reason for the confusion is simply that if someone is speaking quickly its easy to mishear dog-eat-dog as doggy dog, which is both understandable and an infinitely more pleasant image than cannibalistic canines.
Additionally, in 1993 Snoop Dogg released a single called Doggy Dogg World, so that could have something to do with the mixup (and it certainly didnt help matters).
Sometimes you come across words and phrases that just make no sense. Make sense of these nonsense words and more with the following articles:
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What Countries Eat Dogs? 2024
Although the consumption of dog meat is frowned upon in most Western cultures, the consumption of dog meat is a centuries-old practice in many other parts of the world. Particularly in some Asian and African countries, dog meat can be considered a staple food, just as beef and chicken are in Western cultures. Western travelers may wish to be wary when trying traditional dishes in these countries and first confirm what type of meat is used. Dog meat historically and currently has a significant role in many cultures. While the consumption of dog or cat meat sounds odd or even repulsive to many Westerners, it is notable that other cultures and religions may view commonly consumed Western meats with the same disdain. For example, most Hindus in India, as well as many Buddhists consider it shameful, even sacrilegious, to raise cattle for meat. Some, such as the Jains in India, are so opposed to harming another living creature that they adopt a lacto-vegetarian diet.
Dog meat consumption in Asia
Asia is the continent on which the consumption of dog meat is most widespread, with as many as 30 million dogs killed for human consumption each year according to estimates by the Humane Society International. This estimate includes many family pets, which are often illegally stolen from their homes and taken to be slaughtered. The consumption of dog meat is said to be most common in China, South Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, and the Nagaland region in India, but it is not considered widespread in any of these locations. Moreover, the practice is becoming less popular in many countries, where younger generations are more likely to regard dogs and cats as companions rather than cuisine.
China is the biggest consumer of dog meat globally, consuming an estimated 10 million dogs (and four million cats) per year. Dog meat has been a tradition in China for thousands of years and is still eaten in many regions of the country. The best known of these regions among westerners is Yulin, which holds a dog meat festival every year. Yulin's annual Lychee and Dog Meat Festival is widely protested and is increasingly controversial outside of China. In 2020, the cities of Shenzhen and Zhuhai became the first and second cities in mainland China to outlaw the consumption of dog and cat meat, and China's Ministry of Agriculture has changed the classification of dogs and cats from livestock to companion animals.
Another well-known country for eating dogs is Vietnam, the second-largest consumer of dog meat in the world, where dog is a dietary staple. The Vietnamese use almost every part of the dog in stews and soups and serve the meat spiced on a stick. Many believe that dog meat has medicinal properties and brings good fortune. The Vietnamese dog meat trade processes an estimated five million dogs per year (far more per capita than China), which has resulted in an illegal import market for dogs, which are imported from neighboring countries such as Cambodia (where dogs are also eaten), Laos, and Thailand. Dog meat is also an issue in Indonesia, where less than 5% of the population consumes it, but both pets and stray street dogs are routinely abducted and slaughtered. The dog meat trade in Indonesia is cited as particularly dangerous because rabies is quite prevalent in the country, and the locations and methods used to slaughter and sell the meat are often far from sanitary. Dog meat is also found in the Philippines, where it is the main ingredient in asocena.
On the other hand, Taiwan became the first Asian country to outlaw the consumption of cat and dog meat, as well as the sale of cats and dogs for the purpose of consumption, in 2017. Violators face significant fines, public shaming, and possible prison time. Similarly, the slaughter of cats and dogs, as well as the sale of their meat, has been illegal in Hong Kong for decades. However, the consumption of such meat has not yet been banned.
Dog meat is reportedly consumed in notoriously secretive North Korea, as well as Timor-Leste and Uzbekistan. It was once common in South Korea, where it is the key ingredient in dishes such as Gaegogi (also the general term for dog meat), Bosintang, Gae Suyuk, and the medicinal drink Gaesoju, but its popularity has plummeted in recent years. Humane Society International cites a Korea Times statement that nearly 40% of South Korean restaurants serving dog meat have closed in the past decade, and a 2020 poll by Nielsen and HSI revealed that 84% of South Koreans polled do not eat dog meat and 60% of people would support a ban on it. In January 2024, the South Korean government unanimously passed a ban on dog meat sale, dog meat consumption, and the slaughter of dogs for consumption purposes. The law is scheduled to go into effect in 2027.
Dog meat consumption throughout the rest of the world
Dog meat is consumed for ritual and cultural purposes in approximately 20 African countries. Burkina Faso sees dog meat as a cultural luxury and a delicacynot to be served at restaurants but as a special meal to look forward to among families. The history of dog meat in Burkina Faso centers around family, friendship, and person-to-person bonding. Dog meat is also a delicacy in Ghana (where cat meat is inexplicably called "Joseph") and is often eaten as a bonding meal between the people of the Frafra and Dagaaba tribes. Dog meat is also consumed in other countries including Liberia, Central African Republic, parts of Nigeria (where some believe the meat has the power to cure malaria or boost libido), Cameroon, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. However, as in Indonesia, the consumption of dog meat carries with it a non-trivial risk of disease, including rabies in Ghana and Nigeria and Ebola in Liberia.
Consuming dog meat is generally taboo in Europe; however, as of 2014, around 3% of people in Switzerland (particularly in rural areas) eat dog meat in the form of jerky or traditional sausages. Laws in the U.K. forbid the sale of dog meat, but appear to allow for the killing and consumption of dog meat as long as the animal is owned by the killer/consumer and is killed humanely.
The Americas
Eating dogs is widely considered taboo in the United States. Technically, the U.S. lacks a national law banning the consumption of dogs and catshowever, the Dog and Cat Meat Trade Prohibition Act of 2018 prohibited the "transportation, delivery, possession, and slaughter of dogs and cats for human consumption," which effectively dismantled any non-clandestine business built around the practice. The act does include an exception for Native American rituals, as certain tribes have either a history or a tradition of consuming dog meat. The Kickapoo tribe residing in modern-day Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas has several traditional recipes involving dog meat, and both the Sioux and Cheyenne are known to have consumed the meat of domestic dogs, but not wild canines. Dog meat is also legal in Canada, though the meat must come from a licensed dog meat processing plantnone of which appear to exist. The sale of dog meat is prohibited in Mexico, though it is known that the Aztecs raised dogs for food.
Only one of Australia's 16 states and territoriesSouth Australiahas explicitly outlawed the slaughter and consumption of both cats and dogs. However, the sale of cat and dog meat is prohibited across the entire country.
Idiom: Dog Eat Dog
Idiom: Dog Eat Dog
Dog eat dog (idiom)
Try to guess the meaning of the idiom 'dog eat dog' by looking at the picture. It's not a pretty picture is it?
Dog eat dog: ruthless competition where people will do anything (even harm other people) to succeed at doing something.
Notes:
Can you imagine a dog eating another dog? Well, that would be a ruthless, cruel and a very extreme way to survive.
We often say the world isdog eat dogor say something is adog eat dogworld. Dog eat dog is therefore an adjective describing how difficult, mean and competitive something (e.g., the world) can be.
Sentence examples
I hated living in New York City because even riding the subway to work in the morning wasdog eat dogto get a seat.
Are you sure you want to to go into the field of sales and marketing? It's such adog eat dog profession.
I only shop online during Black Friday salesthe shopping malls aredog eat dogand each year a few people are killed while shopping!
You might not believe it but you must have adog eat dogattitude to be successful in beauty pageants.
Politics isa dog eat dog world.
Actually my daughter loves working on Wall Streetshe seems to thrive in adog eat dogwork environment.
Trying to find parking in the city isdog eat doglet's take the bus instead.
I played football in both high school and college and it was rough but professional NFL football isa dog eat dog world.
We played games at the baby shower and I couldn't believe it was so dog eat dogeveryone wanted to win the prizes.
I never thought kindergarten could be a dog eat dog worldbut the parents of these kids are really aggressive.
Good luck working in salesI hear it's a dog eat dogworld.
My high school had a real dog eat dogatmosphereeveryone wanted to be Valedictorian so they could get accepted to an Ivy League school.
It may seem like child beauty pageants are innocent fun but they're really dog eat dogcompetitions.
Acting is a dog eat dogprofession because actors will do anything to get a part.
Do you really want to become a professional tennis player? It's a dog eat dogworld on the tennis circuit.
Synonyms
- cutthroat
- every person for themselves
- hard as nails
- have a killer instinct
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