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Sick as a Dog

Posted by Bob on April 12, 2000

In Reply to: Sick as a Dog posted by ESC on April 12, 2000

: : I was wondering if anyone knew the origin of the phrase "Sick as a Dog". I know its a pretty common saying but why a dog ??
: : Im not even sure if it is English, American or Australian.
: : signed
: : Ace Ventura

: Could it be that the dog is the only animal that we have the "opportunity" to see vomiting? I'll look the expression up in my reference books and see if there's more to it than that. It's a common expression in America but I'm willing to bet this phrase is very, very old.

Well, cats upchuck too. But dogs are by nature energetic and eager... the contrast when they are sick is dramatic. (Healthy or sick, a bear is gonna be a bear....) Someone once said that dogs are the Uncle Toms of the animal kingdom... the only species that really likes human beings. We reciprocate by projecting on them all sorts of human reactions and emotions ... so I suspect we empathize more when a dog is sick as a dog.

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