Question

Choose the correct meaning of the idiom/phrase.
Dog in the manger
a) a person who is not liked by others
b) a person who hounders
c) a person who puts himself in a difficulty on account of other people
d) a person who prevents others from enjoying something useless to himself

Answer 1

Hint: The phrase ‘dog-in-the-manger’ means ‘a person who has no need of, or ability to use, a possession that would be of use or value to others, but who prevents others from having it’.

Complete answer:
An idiom is a collection of words made popular by usage as having a meaning not understood from those of the individual words. They are usually used metaphorically and are not to be taken in the literal sense. For example, the idiom ‘break a leg’ is used to wish someone luck.

The phrase can be used in a sentence as follows-
For example, in the sentence ‘Stop being such a dog in the manger and share it with everybody!’, the phrase refers to one person hoarding a thing they do not even need.

Now, we know the meaning and usage of the given phrase. Let’s look at our available options-
a) a person who is not liked by others - This phrase refers to a person who is not very popular, so this is not the meaning of this given idiom. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
b) a person who hounders - This phrase refers to a person who harasses people, so this is not the meaning of this given idiom. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
c) a person who puts himself in a difficulty on account of other people - This phrase refers to a person sacrificing their well-being for other people, so this is not the meaning of this given idiom. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
d) a person who prevents others from enjoying something useless to himself - This phrase refers to a person who hoards and is a miser, so this is the exact meaning of the given idiom. This is the required answer. So, this is the correct option.

Note:
Try to identify the context of the phrase by using it in a sentence. That will help you to narrow down your options. Choose the option that most resembles the meaning of the given phrase.