除了用法、寓意，有的短語和諺語適合書面說法，有的只在口語中使用，有的涉及比喻，有的源自故事，有的是名人名言，有的英國人說，美國人不說，還有的不同的國家有不同的說法……
所以學短語和諺語是壹件很有趣的事。希望妳讀我的系列文章不僅能夠記住這些英文短語和諺語，而且能夠從相關的故事中體會到異國文化，壹些書本上沒有，生活裏必知的知識。
dog 這個詞在英文中非常常用。跟Dog相關的成語涉及生活的方方面面, 本文是第壹部分。
這裏的dog是動詞，有三個意思：
1. 混日子、懶、逃避責任=To be lazy; to loaf or shirk duty; to fail to put forth the effort necessary to achieve or accomplish something.
例子
Jim became totally disheartened after losing his job and has been dogging it around the house for the past month.（混日子）
I hate my job, so I just dog it in the office until it's time to go home.（熬到下班）
I once had dreams of going to med school, but I dogged it during my last two years in college and can't get in anywhere now.（沒努力）
2.要背叛，退出，倉促離開，或逃離某事= to renege on, back out of, hastily leave, or flee from something.
例子
I'm afraid the company dogged it from the deal at the last minute.（撤資、違約）
We dogged it out of there once we heard the sirens blaring.（撤離、快速離開）
3. 還有壹個意思，就是性生活。
4.
放別人鴿子（英語用狗來表達）=not to meet someone when planed
例子：He dogit on me he did not come.
5.
=to distract a dog from trailing the scent of someone or an animal.
=狗跟著嗅覺追趕，這個成語就是用其他的味道分散狗的註意力，甩掉狗
例子：The odor of a skunk put the dogs off the scent. （用黃鼠狼的味道可以甩掉狗）
後來 put/throw someone off the scent 就指甩掉某人，讓某人失去線索
比較常見的 put policeman off the scent
6
=make a dog heel;
=follow close to heel
訓練好的狗，在遛狗的時候，不用繩子也跟著妳走
例子：A quiet command from his owner brought Fido to heel.
引申： bring/call someone to heel
強迫別人跟著妳，按照妳的要求做（比較正式的說法)=to cause someone to act in a disciplined fashion; to force someone to act in a more disciplined manner.
例子：She tried to bring her husband to heel, but he had a mind of his own. He was brought to heel by his demanding wife.
7
=有可能真發生過狗吃作業這種事情，但是作為成語已經變成了為沒有按時完成任務而找的愚蠢的借口。常見於小學生。=A poor excuse for something that someone has failed to do on time. (From an excuse a student might give for failing to turn in homework on time. Occurs in many variations.)
例子
The dog ate my homework, so I have nothing to turn in. (Used as an attributive.)
Bob was late with his report and had nothing but his typical dog-ate-my-homework excuses.