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May 13, 2023 · The idiom “Wag the Dog” refers to a situation where someone distracts attention or diverts focus from a real issue by highlighting or fabricating another issue. The phrase originates from the saying “the tail wagging the dog,” where an insignificant part controls a much larger object.
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Wag the dog is a political term for the act of creating a diversion from a damaging issue usually through military force. It stems from the generic use of the term to mean a small and seemingly unimportant entity (the tail) controls a bigger, more important one (the dog).
The tail wagging the dog is an idiom that usually refers to something important or powerful being controlled by something less so. Its earliest use is in the 1858 play Our American Cousin. The 1997 film Wag the Dog shortened the phrase and added the additional meaning of "superfluous (military) action in order to distract from domestic scandal."
In an attempt to wag the dog, the celebrity broke up with their partner just before their upcoming movie was released, hoping that the scandal would generate more buzz for the film. The company tried to wag the dog by making a big show of investing in new technology, but their profits continued to decline and they were eventually forced to declare bankruptcy.
You can use "Wag the Dog" to describe a situation where someone intentionally tries to divert attention from an important matter by focusing on something less significant. For example, if a politician is facing criticism for a controversial decision, they might try to "wag the dog" by bringing up a minor scandal to shift the public's attention.
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Definition of wag-the-dog in the Idioms Dictionary. wag-the-dog phrase. What does wag-the-dog expression mean? Definitions by the largest Idiom Dictionary.
