The president tried to wag the dog to hide his scandal.
wag the dog
idiomTo divert negative political attention by use of a military operation.
Origin
first recorded 19th c.From the tail wagging the dog / the tail wags the dog, first used in the 1858 play, Our American Cousin. The shortened form with the political sense was popularized by the film Wag the Dog (1997).
Critics claimed the sudden military intervention was just an attempt to wag the dog during the election campaign.
By initiating a conflict abroad, the administration hoped to wag the dog and distract the public from the failing domestic economy.
- 01
buy a dog and bark oneself
To do something that one has hired someone else to do.
- 02
cat and dog life
An unhappy married life marked by arguments and disagreements.
- 03
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.
- 04
dog and pony show
Any presentation or display that is overly contrived or intricate, while lacking real substance.
- 05
dog around
To follow diligently.
- 06
dog in the hunt
Something that may lead to gain, depending on the outcome; a position for which to campaign or cheer.
- 07
dog in the manger
Someone who denies to others something that the denier cannot use.
- 08
dog my cats
Used as a mild oath, or as an expression of astonishment