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sionnach commented on the word the dog's dinner
Dressed or displayed in an ostentatiously smart manner.
'Dog's dinner' is first cited in ‘C. L. Anthony's play 'Touch Wood', 1934:
"Why have you got those roses in your hair? You look like the dog's dinner."
(The Phrase Finder)
October 19, 2008
frindley commented on the word the dog's dinner
In Australia you'll often hear the phrase blended with "done like a dinner" to give "done like a dog's dinner" in the sense of being completely screwed.
Which is probably why if we want the ostentatious sense then we're more likely to say "done up like a dog's dinner".
"Dog's dinner" on its own means a complete mess, i.e. much the same meaning as dog's breakfast. Still fits with the idea of being dressed extravagantly since that use is pejorative.
October 19, 2008