why keep a dog and bark yourself

proverb Why do something that someone else is paid to do? I don't know why she's vacuuming when her cleaning lady is coming over tomorrow. Why keep a dog and bark yourself?

See also: and, bark, dog, keep, why

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

Why keep a dog and bark yourself?

Prov. You should not do something you have hired someone else to do. Ellen: The cleaning lady washes my floors every Tuesday, but I always wash them over again. Jane: Don't be silly, Ellen. Why keep a dog and bark yourself?

See also: and, bark, dog, keep, why

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

why keep a ˌdog and bark yourˈself?

(informal, saying) if somebody can do a task for you, there is no point in doing it yourself: My mother always cleans the house before the cleaning lady comes, but why keep a dog and bark yourself?

See also: and, bark, dog, keep, why

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

Why keep a dog and bark yourself

Don't do a chore that should be done by someone you hired to do it. A literal example of the expression would be a home owner who buys, trains, and maintains a guard dog, but stays up all night in case of intruders. Jonathan Swift in Polite Conversation wrote this exchange between a woman of quality and her servant: “‘Good Miss, stir the Fire.' ‘Indeed your Ladyship could have stirr'd it much better.' [To which the woman replied] ‘I won't keep a Dog and bark myself.'”

See also: and, bark, dog, keep, why

Endangered Phrases by Steven D. Price

See also:

Why keep a dog and bark yourself?
say over
be on the market
why doesn't (one) (do something)
why don't you?
open (one's) mouth
why, oh why
It's anybody's guess
it's anybody's/anyone's guess
anyone's guess

References in periodicals archive

Another manor house relic gives a whole new meaning to the saying of why keep a dog and bark yourself; the house had a treadmill operated by a dog in the manner of a hamster wheel.

Mitfords born to the manor

Why keep a dog and bark yourself is Nicola Smith's philosophy.

Television: Can't cooks all in a stew

Every dog has his day, if you lie down with dogs you will get up with fleas, let sleeping dogs lie, a live dog is better than a dead lion, why keep a dog and bark yourself, a barking dog never bites, love me - love my dog, you can't teach an old dog new tricks, dog does not eat dog (and I thought it was the reverse).

The World according to .. Sid Langley

词组	why keep a dog and bark yourself
释义	why keep a dog and bark yourself why keep a dog and bark yourself proverb Why do something that someone else is paid to do? I don't know why she's vacuuming when her cleaning lady is coming over tomorrow. Why keep a dog and bark yourself? See also: and, bark, dog, keep, why Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. Why keep a dog and bark yourself? Prov. You should not do something you have hired someone else to do. Ellen: The cleaning lady washes my floors every Tuesday, but I always wash them over again. Jane: Don't be silly, Ellen. Why keep a dog and bark yourself? See also: and, bark, dog, keep, why McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. why keep a ˌdog and bark yourˈself? (informal, saying) if somebody can do a task for you, there is no point in doing it yourself: My mother always cleans the house before the cleaning lady comes, but why keep a dog and bark yourself? See also: and, bark, dog, keep, why Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary Why keep a dog and bark yourself Don't do a chore that should be done by someone you hired to do it. A literal example of the expression would be a home owner who buys, trains, and maintains a guard dog, but stays up all night in case of intruders. Jonathan Swift in Polite Conversation wrote this exchange between a woman of quality and her servant: “‘Good Miss, stir the Fire.' ‘Indeed your Ladyship could have stirr'd it much better.' [To which the woman replied] ‘I won't keep a Dog and bark myself.'” See also: and, bark, dog, keep, why Endangered Phrases by Steven D. Price See also: Why keep a dog and bark yourself? say over be on the market why doesn't (one) (do something) why don't you? open (one's) mouth why, oh why It's anybody's guess it's anybody's/anyone's guess anyone's guess References in periodicals archive Another manor house relic gives a whole new meaning to the saying of why keep a dog and bark yourself; the house had a treadmill operated by a dog in the manner of a hamster wheel. Mitfords born to the manor Why keep a dog and bark yourself is Nicola Smith's philosophy. Television: Can't cooks all in a stew Every dog has his day, if you lie down with dogs you will get up with fleas, let sleeping dogs lie, a live dog is better than a dead lion, why keep a dog and bark yourself, a barking dog never bites, love me - love my dog, you can't teach an old dog new tricks, dog does not eat dog (and I thought it was the reverse). The World according to .. Sid Langley
随便看	draw rein draw (someone or something) out of (someone or something) draw (someone or something) toward (someone or something) draw (someone's) fire draw someone's fire draw (something) over (someone or something) draw (something) to draw (something) to (someone's) attention draw straws draw straws for draw straws for (something) draw stumps draw (the) battle lines draw the curtain draw the curtain on (something) draw the curtain over (something) draw the line draw the line at draw the line at (something) draw the line at, to draw the line between and else Go to draw a line between draw the longbow draw the short straw (draw the sword and) throw away the scabbard draw to