wag the dog
To divert negative political attention by use of a military operation.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“The president tried to wag the dog to hide his scandal.”
“Leaders often wag the dog when they face a major crisis at home.”
“Does the navy really need to wag the dog during this peaceful month?”
“Critics claimed the sudden military intervention was just an attempt to wag the dog during the election campaign.”
“The government announced a sudden border dispute to wag the dog after the news of the bribery case broke.”
“Voters worried the prime minister would wag the dog by starting a small war to improve his low approval ratings.”
“By initiating a conflict abroad, the administration hoped to wag the dog and distract the public from the failing domestic economy.”
first recorded 19th c.
The idiom is derived from the expression *the tail wags the dog*, a reversal of natural order first appearing in the 1858 play *Our American Cousin*. While the longer metaphor for the minor part controlling the whole has nineteenth-century roots, the shortened form entered the political lexicon following the 1997 film *Wag the Dog*.
- 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