A few hours ago, the phrase "lie like a dog" came to mind. And then I began to ponder its relevance. While dogs are pretty good at lying around, can they "lie"?
I'll admit that I am no expert on the subject. However, I have lived with, or in close proximity, to a number of dogs and cats. And I think the phrase is woefully inaccurate and misplaced. If anything it should be "lie like a cat".
First off, let's deal with the whole 'lying about' thing. While dogs may be seemingly adept at lying around, no one, and I mean NO SPECIES ON THE PLANET (not even sloths) having 'lying around' down as well as cats. Seriously. I have lived with cats who spend at least a good twenty plus hours a day snoozing, lounging, or otherwise horizontal.
Now, let's talk about the actual "lying" thing. As in "attempting to pass a falsehood off as the truth". Have you ever looked into a dog's eyes? The vast majority of dogs I have encountered cannot lie. And when I say "cannot lie" I am referring to their inability to scoff at scrutiny. If a dog has done something wrong, they are ashamed. They know it. If confronted with their crime, they will look, odd choice of words here, "sheepish".
If you want to witness a true pathological, non-human, purveyor of falsehoods, I give you The Cat. Virtually every cat I have ever lived with or known could be caught dead-to-rights in a heinous act, but will look you in the eye broadcasting the message, "What? Nah. You're mistaken. It was the dog." (Even if you've never in your life owned a dog.)
So, I hereby petition the Language Authorities. Justice must be served. Let us strike the phrase "Lie like a dog" from the record. Let us replace it with the much more appropriate and accurate phrase: "Lie like a cat"
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
And what is more, if the cat says "The dog did it" and you look at the dog questioningly, he's likely to roll. If you don't already, you should be reading the comic strip "Get Fuzzy".
I LOVE "Get Fuzzy". The cat is the embodiment of evil. The dog is good natured and forgiving. The human is intelligent and cynical. Great stuff.
Dogs can lie, or at least try to. Our dog will grab a sweat sock (which he isn't allowed to have), and if you look in his direction, he will attempt to cover it up so you can't see it. He will do something really egregious, and if you ask him "did you do that?" he will try to look innocent. It is definitely intentional... Dogs are basically good, and forgiving and loyal and sweet and joyful. They are also morally and intellectually stuck at about two years old. So yes, they can lie, but not well, and they mean no harm by it.
Wow! I had never encountered an adept canine liar before. It must feel pretty special to have a dog so intelligent that he can act innocent when clearly he's done something wrong.
Post a Comment