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Etymology Journal ยท A

Ain't got a dog in this fight

Meaning

This means you have no personal interest or stake in the outcome of a dispute or competition. You are completely neutral and do not care who wins.

Neutral, indifferent

Used in a sentence

  • You two can argue about which restaurant to pick, I honestly ain't got a dog in this fight.
  • I am staying out of the office politics because I ain't got a dog in this fight.
  • My brother asked me to take sides, but I told him I ain't got a dog in this fight.

The backstory

It originates from the era of rural blood sports where men would bet on dog fights. If you did not own one of the dogs, you had no reason to get emotionally invested in the brawl.

Heard in

The South

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