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Walking the dog

Posted by ESC on July 01, 2007

In Reply to: Walking the dog posted by ESC on July 01, 2007

: : : Can anybody tell me what the meaning is of "walking the dog"?

: : "Taking the dog for a walk" is a general expression meaning you are going somewhere you don't want your spouse to know about; typically something relatively innocent like sneaking off to the pub for a crafty pint. The same excuse is said by some to be the root of the term "dogging" which describes a different (rather less innocent?) activity. I've always assumed "walking the dog" is just a variation on "taking the dog for a walk"but I could be wrong.

: It was a song by Rufus Thomas. But I have a vague notion or guess that the song was a reference to a dance, a yoyo move or something of a childhood game nature.

Wikipedia says:

Walk the dog is a common yo-yo trick where the player does a sleeper and then allows this spinning yo-yo to roll along the ground as if it were a leashed animal.

"Walking the dog" is also a technique for retrieving a surface (top water) fishing lure.

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