junkyard dog
An animal or person with an especially nasty and combative demeanor.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“He acts like a junkyard dog when he loses a game.”
“The manager became a real junkyard dog during the meeting, attacking every suggestion the team made.”
“Despite his professional appearance, he revealed himself to be a junkyard dog, fighting every minor point with unnecessary aggression and hostility.”
first recorded 20th c.
From junkyard + dog. The literal sense of the compound was popularised in 1973 by the Jim Croce song Bad, Bad Leroy Brown, which employed the animal as a benchmark for the protagonist's temperament.
- 01
buy a dog and bark oneself
To do something that one has hired someone else to do.
- 02
call off the dogs
To ease up on after inflicting great punishment.
- 03
cat and dog life
An unhappy married life marked by arguments and disagreements.
- 04
dog and cat
A team comprising one male and one female, either working as associates or having one as the second-in-command to the other.
- 05
dog and pony show
Any presentation or display that is overly contrived or intricate, while lacking real substance.
- 06
dog around
To follow diligently.
- 07
dog in the hunt
Something that may lead to gain, depending on the outcome; a position for which to campaign or cheer.
- 08
dog in the manger
Someone who denies to others something that the denier cannot use.
Last updated August 10, 2026