1. A Dog in the Manger
Origin: From Aesop's Fables. The story tells of a dog lying in a manger full of hay. Since dogs don't eat hay, it would snarl and snap at any ox or horse that came near to eat, preventing them from enjoying the food that was useless to itself.
Meaning: The phrase "a dog in the manger" has become a common idiom in English. It describes a person who selfishly prevents others from using or enjoying something that they themselves have no use for.
Usage: It is a noun phrase, often used as a subject complement with a linking verb.
Examples:
- He borrowed a lot of books from the library but never read any. He was a real dog in the manger.
- Smith was a dog in the manger over that roll of wire; it was useless to him, but he wouldn't let us have it.
2. Bell the Cat
Origin: This is a shortened form of "to hang the bell about the cat's neck," from the fable The Mice in Council in Aesop's Fables. The mice held a council to decide how to deal with their enemy, the cat. One wise mouse suggested putting a bell on the cat to warn of its approach. All agreed it was a brilliant plan ("We will bell the cat!"), but when it came to the question of who would perform the dangerous task, no mouse volunteered.
Meaning: The idiom "bell the cat" means to undertake a dangerous or difficult task for the common good; to be the one who bravely steps forward to face a risk when others are unwilling.
Examples:
- Everybody made suggestions, but no one actually offered to bell the cat.
- We didn't know who would ask him the delicate question until my friend volunteered to bell the cat.
3. Cry Wolf
Origin: From the Aesop's fable The Shepherd Boy and the Wolf. A bored shepherd boy repeatedly tricked the villagers by falsely crying "Wolf!" for amusement. When a real wolf finally appeared and the boy cried for help in earnest, the villagers, having been deceived before, ignored him, and the wolf ate his sheep.
Meaning: To "cry wolf" means to raise a false alarm, to warn of a danger that does not exist. Consequently, when a real emergency arises, people may not believe the warnings.
Examples:
- Nobody will believe he is in trouble because he has cried wolf so many times.
- Is she really sick, or is she just crying wolf?
- The newspaper placards that had cried wolf so often, cried wolf now in vain.