Yet another Aussie-ism.

Factual Questions
1

I get weekly emails at work from WorkSafe Victoria (I think it;s called) in Australia. Last weeks Absolute Shocker of the Week was a photo of a poorly assembled multiple set of electrical outlets on a construction site, which they called a “Dogs Breakfast”.
What the heck is that. I know what it means (a mess), but where did the phrase come from. Apparently they say it in England too. Figures. :wink:
Anyway, I posted the picture on the board at work, and it was an immediate success. I fear the term is going to stick for a while. It’s already greated a dogs breakfast around our facility.
But this is a serious question. What is meant by dogs breakfast. Most idioms have at least some basis in reality. What do you folk feed the dogs down there?
Peace,
mangeorge

2

The term I have always heard in the U.K. is “dog’s dinner” rather than “dog’s breakfast”, the difference is most likely just to give it an alliterative property to make it roll off the tongue easier. As for the origin, have you ever seen dog food? Not a pretty sight nor a pleasant smell.

3

I think it means “an unpleasant and potentially-hazardous muddle”. I believe the ezpression originally referred to a pool of vomit, but I may be wrong on that. Although, given the indiscriminate appetites of some dogs I’ve known, vomit couls in fact serve as a dog’s breakfast.

4

I don’t know yet but I’ve posted a question on the sister board G’Dope which is mostly postings from our friends downunder. You can go there or I’ll let you know when I hear something
http://p090.ezboard.com/bgdope

5

Pressed submit too early :smack:

Here’s an example of a dog’s dinner, I think you will agree it is a comlete mess visually and in an olfactory sense. (Visually is to Visual as ??? is to Olfactory, what is ???)

6

Per The Phrase Finder:

7

The phrase *dog’s breakfast * is used to describe anything that’s messy or jumbled up. A colleague used it this morning here in the office to describe a document that had been written in sections, each section by a different person, and then edited by a completely different person. It didn’t read well and was stylistically inconsistent. Her immediate reaction - “well this is a bit of a dog’s breakfast!”

8

Now, I realize that some Aussies may tend to be a little rough, but please don’t tell me that the local hounds can count on “secondary sustennance” for breakfast. :eek:

9

This relpy was posted by Dr Techie on the ezboard wordorigins http://p098.ezboard.com/fwordoriginsorgfrm1.showMessage?topicID=12040.topic
Thanks to Dr Techie

Dr Techie
Registered User
Posts: 7448
(4/14/05 1:15 am)
Reply Re: Meaning of Dog’s Breakfast

A mess, especially in the extended figurative sense of “making a mess of things”. Presumably from the practice of feeding dogs the mixed-together scraps of the previous evening’s dinner.

Some examples of use from the OED2:
1937 PARTRIDGE Dict. Slang 231/2 *Dog’s breakfast, a mess: low Glasgow (1934). 1959 Times 29 Apr. 10/4 He can’t make head or tail of it… It’s a complete dog’s breakfast. 1963 Times 22 Feb. 12/3 The warders…are very angry and have rejected the latest War Office offer as totally unacceptable. They feel the offer is a bit of a dog’s breakfast.

Edited by: Dr Techie at: 4/14/05 1:17 am

10

There is a lively discussion going on at G’Dope about this and other similar phrases. Funny Stuff. You should take a look.
http://p090.ezboard.com/fgdopefrm1.showMessage?topicID=791.topic