meaner than a junkyard dog

meaner than a junkyard dog

Exceptionally cruel, spiteful, malicious, or violent. Her dad is usually a pretty nice, chilled out guy, but he's gets meaner than a junkyard dog when he's been drinking. Don't go messing with that guy! He's meaner than a junkyard dog—he'll rip your head off just for looking at him funny!
See also: dog, junkyard
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

meaner than a junkyard dog (with fourteen sucking pups)

Rur. cruel; eager to fight. Don't mess with her. She's meaner than a junkyard dog with fourteen sucking pups. They say Jim's meaner than a junkyard dog, but really, he's a sweetheart.
See also: dog, junkyard
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • (as) mean as a junkyard dog
  • junkyard
  • if (one) is a day
  • if he is a day
  • if he's, she's, etc. a day
  • rattle off
  • be going great guns
  • French leave
  • case
  • if one’s a day
References in periodicals archive
As played by Justine Lupe (an actress to watch, in Frances Ha among other film and TV projects), Sue is meaner than a junkyard dog, and her palpable contempt for her thin-skinned father is an ugly exercise in cruelty.
Fractured Family lacks Boating style adventure
Why, even as a party boss, I'd bet He sweetly stroked the fattest cats, and yet In this campaign, this sordid travelogue, He now acts meaner than a junkyard dog. He wasn't mean while curled up like a lotus--Or straightened up it's easier to notice.
The new Jerry Brown