l Dog talk: Every dog has its day Americans have many expressions using the word “dog.” Nowadays people in the United States love their dog and treat them well. They take their dogs for walks, let them play outside, and give them good food and medical care. However, dogs without owners to care for them lead a different kind of life. The expression “to lead a dog’s life” describes a person who has an unhappy existence. Some people say “we live in a dog-eat-dog world.” This means that when many people are competing for the same things, like good jobs, they are quick to forget their basic humanity. They also say that, a person has to“work like a dog” to be successful. This means they have to work very, very hard. Such hard work can make people “dog-tired.” And if we fall ill or become miserable, we might become “sick as a dog.” Still, people say, “Every dog has its day.” This means that every person enjoys a successful period during his life. To be successful, people often have to learn new skills. Yet some people say that “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” They believe that older people do not like to learn new things and will not change the way they do things. Some people are compared to dogs in bad ways.People who are unkind or uncaring can be described as “meaner than a junkyard dog.” Junkyard dogs live in places where people throw away things they do not want. Mean dogs are often used to guard this property. They bark at or attack people who try to enter the property. However, sometimes a person who appears to be mean and threatening is really not so bad, so we also say, “His bark is worse than his bite.” Many dogs in the United States sleep in a safe little house near their owner’s home. These doghouses provide shelter. Yet they can be cold and lonely in the winter. Husbands and wives use the term “doghouse”when they are angry at each other. For example, a woman might get angry at her husband for coming home late or forgetting their wedding anniversary. She might tell him that he is “in the doghouse.” She may not treat him nicely until he apologizes. However, the husband may decide that it is best to leave things alone and not create more problems. He might decide therefore, “to let sleeping dogs lie.” Dog expressions also are used to describe the weather. “The dog days of summer” are the hottest days of the year. And if a rainstorm comes, we might say, “it’s raining cats and dogs.” Dog expressions abound in all cultures reflecting all aspects of our humanity, for good or ill, suggesting our close relationship with a creature also called “man’s best friend.”