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Dogs on strings

Posted by Gary Martin on March 04, 2008 at 19:04:

In Reply to: Dogs on strings posted by Trude Gardner on March 04, 2008 at 19:00:

: I am reading a book called A white Merc with Fins by James Hawes, in it it uses the expression Dogs on Strings. in context it says: So we will sit here, and just veg out for a year or two with our Dogs on Strings and try to get some perspective. Any ideas?

: He also refers to White Heat, I think that refers to the scientific revolution in the sixties / seventies. ?

'Dogs on strings' usually refers to the habits of vagrants in the UK, who are stereotyped as keeping mongrel dogs and using string rather than leads to restrain them. I don't know who or when that was first recorded.

You are right about the 'white heat' reference. The British Labour Prime Minister, Harold Wilson made what was called his 'White heat of technology' speech in 1963:

"The Britain that is going to be forged in the white heat of this revolution will be no place for restrictive practices or for outdated measures on either side of industry".

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