dog in the hunt

English

Etymology

dog + in + the + hunt

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU):

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Noun

dog in the hunt (plural dogs in the hunt)

1. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see dog,‎ hunt.
2. (idiomatic) Something that may lead to gain, depending on the outcome; a position for which to campaign or cheer..

   A national political party is unlikely to feel it has a particular dog in the hunt for a typical small town mayoral race; in many cases the local candidates do not even campaign with a party affiliation.

Usage notes

• Often used erroneously to indicate that one has no stake in the outcome. As such this is a bastardization of two Southern idioms: "no dog in the fight," and "that dog won't hunt.” (The latter indicates something is a bad idea or prone to fail.) Use of the phrase "no dog in the hunt" when one wishes to indicate they have no "dog in the fight" will generate funny glances from any Southerners who overhear it.

Synonyms

• (idiomatic): dog in the fight

See also

• skin in the game