Definition

Noun (Idiom): A person who selfishly prevents others from having or using something that they themselves do not want or need. This person derives no benefit from the item but still denies it to others out of spite or possessiveness.

Usage

This term is used as a singular noun phrase to describe a person's selfish and obstructive behavior. It is often used in a critical or disapproving tone.

Examples

• Don't be such a dog in the manger; if you're not going to use the company car this weekend, let someone else borrow it.
• He's a real dog in the manger about that parking space. He doesn't even have a car, but he won't let anyone else rent it.
• The critic's review was pure dog in the manger attitude; he panned the novel not because it was bad, but because he hadn't written it himself.

Advanced Usage

• The phrase can be used in a more descriptive form: "to act the dog in the manger" or "to have a dog-in-the-manger attitude."
  • He's not using the equipment, but he's acting the dog in the manger and won't let the new team try it.
  • Her dog-in-the-manger attitude about the project files is slowing down the entire department.

Variants and Related Words

• Dog-in-the-manger (adjective): Used attributively to describe such an attitude or policy.
  • a dog-in-the-manger policy
• Dog-in-the-mangerism (noun, rare): The practice or policy of being a dog in the manger.

Synonyms

• Spoilsport
• Killjoy
• Selfish obstructionist

Origin and Notes

This idiom originates from one of Aesop's Fables. In the story, a dog lies in a manger (a trough holding food for cattle or horses). The dog cannot eat the hay itself but growls and snaps at the oxen when they try to eat, preventing them from enjoying what it cannot use. The phrase perfectly encapsulates this metaphor of spiteful denial.

Noun

1. someone who prevents you from enjoying something that they themselves have no need for