English Explanatory Dictionary

man bites dog

English dictionary entry

Meanings

phrase
  1. A situation that is worth reporting on because it is unusual or bizarre.

Word forms

man bites dog

Etymology

Shortened version of a phrase attributed to various 19th-century journalists: "When a dog bites a man, that is not news, because it happens so often. But if a man bites a dog, that is news."

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