Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

look for a dog to kick

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.54 in modern English

Syllables
look -for a -dog -to -kick
IPA
36
Scrabble Score
17
Letters
5
Syllables
11
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To seek someone or something to blame.

Etymology

Referring to the tendency some people have to vent their frustrations on things which appear to be unable to defend themselves, such as dogs.

Inflected Forms

looks for a dog to kick (present, singular) looking for a dog to kick (participle, present) looked for a dog to kick (participle, past) looked for a dog to kick (past)

Phrases

displaced aggression it is easy to find a stick to beat a dog

Frequently Paired Words

displaced aggression it is easy to find a stick to beat a dog scapegoat

Synonyms

take it out on

Questions

What does look for a dog to kick mean?
To seek someone or something to blame.
Where does look for a dog to kick come from?
Referring to the tendency some people have to vent their frustrations on things which appear to be unable to defend themselves, such as dogs.

How to pronounce look for a dog to kick

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “look for a dog to kick”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “look for a dog to kick”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “look for a dog to kick” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.