Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

tail wagging the dog

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.85 in modern English

Syllables
tail wag-ging the -dog
IPA
28
Scrabble Score
17
Letters
3
Syllables
11
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A minor or secondary part of something which is controlling or dominating the whole or the main part.

Etymology

First used in the 1858 play Our American Cousin. The shortened form wag the dog, with a political sense, was popularized by the film Wag the Dog (1997). For the verb phrase, see the tail wags the dog.

Phrases

wag the dog put the cart before the horse

Frequently Paired Words

put the cart before the horse

Questions

What does tail wagging the dog mean?
A minor or secondary part of something which is controlling or dominating the whole or the main part.
Where does tail wagging the dog come from?
First used in the 1858 play Our American Cousin. The shortened form wag the dog, with a political sense, was popularized by the film Wag the Dog (1997). For the verb phrase, see the tail wags the dog.

How to pronounce tail wagging the dog

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “tail wagging the dog”.
  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 “tail wagging the dog”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “tail wagging the dog” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.