to call off the dogs
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To desist from some pursuit or inquiry; to break up a disagreeable conversation. In the chase, if the dogs are on the wrong track, the huntsman calls them off.
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 “to call off the dogs” mean?
To desist from some pursuit or inquiry; to break up a disagreeable conversation. In the chase, if the dogs are on the wrong track, the huntsman calls them off.
Is “to call off the dogs” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.