Skip to content
ontologydriven
Sign out

Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

dogs bark, cats meow en · X

Pronunciation

  • /dɒɡz ˈbɑːk | kæts miˈaʊ/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /dɑɡz-/ (General-American, cot-caught-merger)
  • /dɔɡz ˈbɑɹk | kæts miˈaʊ/ (General-American)
  • (General-American) audio

Etymology

From dogs + bark (verb) + cats + meow (verb).

Meanings

  1. (humorous, idiomatic, informal) Used to introduce something seen as inevitable or totally commonplace.
    • You know what they say: dogs bark, cats meow, and sinners sin. Sinning comes natural to us. That's why we are in constant war with our flesh. 2009, Linda P. Kozar, Dannelle Woody, “Nature versus Nurture”, in Babes with a Beatitude: Devotions for Smart, Savvy Women of Faith, New York, N.Y.: Howard Books, →ISBN, page 146:
    • One of the world's hardest tasks is to convince innocent, liberal minded Christians, intellectuals and opinion-makers in the mass-communication media that Communists mean just what they say. They believe airplanes fly, boats sail, dogs bark, cats meow and rain falls … but after reading documents like the above, somehow they manage to put on rose colored glasses and parrot half truths like "there is freedom of religion in Communist countries, churches are free from government control, all is sweetness and light." 1961 May 28, Unbrainwashed [pseudonym], “Readers in council: No religious freedom in USSR [letter]”, in Kazushige Hirasawa, editor, The Japan Times, Tokyo: The Japan Times Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 8, column 8:
    • He's surprised to learn she knows he drinks too much. "It's in the Met Centre facts of life file," she says; "dogs bark, cats meow and Stenning drinks." 1986, Bill Warren, “1962 [The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961)]”, in Keep Watching the Skies! American Science Fiction Movies of the Fifties, volume II (1958–1962), Jefferson, N.C.; London: McFarland & Company, →ISBN, page 616:

Relateds

does a bear shit in the woods · the dogs bark, but the caravan goes on · barking dogs seldom bite · cat's meow · a barking dog never bites · fork found in kitchen · a barking dog seldom bites · water is wet · barking dogs never bite

Translations (2)

pl no nie gadaj (used to introduce something seen as inevitable or totally commonplace) · fi vesi on märkää, taivas sininen (ja ...) (used to introduce something seen as inevitable or totally commonplace)