like a dog with a bone

English

Pronunciation

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Adjective

like a dog with a bone (not comparable)

1. (simile) Stubborn and tenacious; persistent; relentless; dogged.

   Synonym: like a bulldog with a bone

   • 1918, William Henry Hudson, Far Away and Long Ago: A History of My Early Life, page 328:

     Despite my determination to put the question off, my mind, or sub-conscious mind, like a dog with a bone which it refuses to drop in defiance of its master's command, went on revolving it.

   • 1932, Louis-Ferdinand Céline, Ralph Manheim, trans. 1982, Journey to the End of the Night, page 67

     I was like a dog with a bone, I wouldn't let go.

   • 1994, Truman Capote, In Cold Blood: A True Account of a Multiple Murder and Its Consequences, page 152:

     Wilmer Lee was like a dog with a bone — he just wouldn't let Mr. Mooney rest in peace.

See also

• like a dog in heat