dog's life

Idioms & Phrases

dog's life

A miserably unhappy existence, as in He's been leading a dog's life since his wife left him. This expression was first recorded in a 16th-century manuscript and alludes to the miserable subservient existence of dogs during this era. By the 1660s there was a proverb: "It's a dog's life, hunger and ease."

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Dog's life is always a great word to know.
So is slumgullion. Does it mean:
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a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc.
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