# Seeing a man about a dog ... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 9, 2013, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-a-man-about-a-dog/657898 "2013-05-09T16:09:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-a-man-about-a-dog/657898/1 "2013-05-09T16:09:34Z")
… or a horse. I grew up using “I’ve got to see a man about a dog” to mean “I’ve got to do something, but exactly what is none of your business.” The first time I heard the version of the phrase with “about a horse” I thought it was a riff on the “standard” phrase with the size of the animal increased for humorous effect – nope, turns out it’s just another version. Which version is the “real” one as far as you’re concerned? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-a-man-about-a-dog/657898/2 "2013-05-09T16:12:35Z")
I knew a Texan who always said “he had to see a man about a dog” whenever he headed to the bathroom. He was the _only_ person I ever heard say this, and nobody ever knew what he meant. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-a-man-about-a-dog/657898/3 "2013-05-09T16:19:10Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I knew a Texan who always said “he had to see a man about a dog” whenever he headed to the bathroom. > > He was the _only_ person I ever heard say this, and nobody ever knew what he meant. Good friend of mine uses, “… I have to turn my bicycle around”. Clever and funny in a nonsensical kind of way. ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-a-man-about-a-dog/657898/4 "2013-05-09T16:22:36Z")
I’ve always heard/used both as a(n?) euphemism for going to the bathroom, going off to do some ummm “illicit” activity, or as you say **twicks** when it’s none of anyone’s business what I’m going to do. Then there are my comedic Uncle Marty’s ways of expressing it: “I’m going to see a dog about a man.” “I’m going to see a horse about a man.” “I’m going to see a dog about a horse.” “I’m going to see a horse about a dog.” A laugh a minute my Uncle Marty is! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-a-man-about-a-dog/657898/5 "2013-05-09T17:08:47Z")
Hm, yeah, I guess it usually is about heading to the john. I was thinking about it because I said it to someone at my current contract gig when I had to leave early yesterday to go see another client; she was all “I thought you had two cats, why are you getting a dog?” Turns out she knew the “horse” version and had never heard “dog.” ---
**Author:** ![Sahirrnee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sahirrnee/32/13937_2.png) [@Sahirrnee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sahirrnee)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-a-man-about-a-dog/657898/6 "2013-05-09T17:10:26Z")
My friends father said he needed to see a man about a horse. We all got excited because we took it literally, being little kids and all. We thought he was going to buy a pony. After that he used dog, cut down on all the excited kids. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-a-man-about-a-dog/657898/7 "2013-05-09T17:13:25Z")
Never heard dog, horse plenty of times. It usually means going to take a leak, but could be referring to other functions. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-a-man-about-a-dog/657898/8 "2013-05-09T17:31:14Z")
Horse is the one I grew up with. I don’t know if I’ve even heard the dog version. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go say howdy to a cactus. ---
**Author:** ![brainstall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@brainstall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brainstall)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-a-man-about-a-dog/657898/9 "2013-05-09T18:12:06Z")
I once told an overnight guest that he had to leave in the morning because I had to see a man about a horse, and he thought I was blowing him off, but in actual fact, I really was going to look at a horse for sale. Nice little paint gelding… bought him, too. Horse or dog, I’ve always known it as a euphemism for needing to relieve oneself. I was under the impression that ‘horse’ was a sly reference to the size of the man’s anatomy. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-a-man-about-a-dog/657898/10 "2013-05-09T18:15:18Z")
I’ve always heard “I’ve gotta see a man about a horse.” ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-a-man-about-a-dog/657898/11 "2013-05-09T21:03:51Z")
I’ve always heard “horse” and it has always meant going to the john. ---
**Author:** ![sangfroid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e0b2c6/32.png) [@sangfroid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sangfroid)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-a-man-about-a-dog/657898/12 "2013-05-09T22:23:39Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > I’ve always heard “horse” and it has always meant going to the john. Ditto. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-a-man-about-a-dog/657898/13 "2013-05-09T22:45:00Z")
> [@brainstall](#): > > … I was under the impression that ‘horse’ was a sly reference to the size of the man’s anatomy. Shit, never thought of it that way. I feel … sheltered or something. Normally I have a dirtier mind than this! _slinks off in shame_ ---
**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-a-man-about-a-dog/657898/14 "2013-05-09T23:57:48Z")
I had an ex-boyfriend who said he “had to see a man about a mule” when he was going to buy pot. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-a-man-about-a-dog/657898/15 "2013-05-10T00:02:25Z")
We used to use “have to give birth to a Bosun’s Mate”, but that wasn’t for taking a leak. Oh, and “Leaning over the rail to tell Ralph about my Buick” meant the seas were rough and greasy pork chops were on the menu. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-a-man-about-a-dog/657898/16 "2013-05-10T00:26:43Z")
Melbourne, Australia. Always, only, about a dog. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-a-man-about-a-dog/657898/17 "2013-05-10T00:34:28Z")
I’ve rarely heard horse, never dog. Never stopped to think about what it might mean, either, though I did realize it wasn’t about an actual horse. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-a-man-about-a-dog/657898/18 "2013-05-10T00:38:11Z")
Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Always, only, about a dog. I mean come on y’all? A horse? ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-a-man-about-a-dog/657898/19 "2013-05-10T00:59:27Z")
I’ve always heard ‘about a horse’ no specific meaning other than 'I’m not really going to explain where I’m going. Since American Psycho came out I use ‘I have to go return some video tapes’ to escape encounters I’m uninterested in staying at. ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-a-man-about-a-dog/657898/20 "2013-05-10T01:11:18Z")
Gotta go drop the kids off at the pool. Or, Gotta go pinch a loaf. Grosses the kids out every time! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-a-man-about-a-dog/657898.md?page=2)