a surly dog
Preserved but no longer current.
A human being of a surly temper. Dog is often used for "chap" or "fellow": thus we have a gay dog, a man who is always out and about on pleasure, and a sad dog, which means much the same, but carries with it a touch of reproof.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “a surly dog” mean?
A human being of a surly temper. Dog is often used for "chap" or "fellow": thus we have a gay dog, a man who is always out and about on pleasure, and a sad dog, which means much the same, but carries with it a touch of reproof.
Is “a surly dog” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.