How do you use "That dog won't hunt" in a sentence?

You think you can fix the roof by yourself? That dog won't hunt. His excuse about the traffic was weak — that dog won't hunt. She tried to convince me to invest, but that dog won't hunt.

That dog won't hunt

American Slang Term American ★★★★☆ Common informal

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Meaning: That idea, plan, or argument won't work; it's not going to succeed.

那个主意、计划或说法行不通；不会成功的。

Esa idea, plan o argumento no va a funcionar; no va a tener éxito.

そのアイデア、計画、議論はうまくいかない。成功するはずがない。

그 아이디어, 계획, 주장은 통하지 않는다. 성공할 수 없다.

A Southern way of dismissing a bad idea or argument. Like a hunting dog that refuses to follow a scent, the plan in question is useless. It's a polite but firm way to reject something — more colorful than just saying 'that won't work.'

这是南方人否定一个糟糕主意或论点的方式。就像一条猎犬拒绝追踪气味一样，所讨论的计划毫无用处。这是一种礼貌但坚定的拒绝方式——比单纯说'那行不通'更形象。

Una forma sureña de rechazar una mala idea o argumento. Como un perro de caza que se niega a seguir un rastro, el plan en cuestión no sirve de nada. Es una manera educada pero firme de rechazar algo, más pintoresca que simplemente decir 'eso no funcionará'.

ダメなアイデアや議論を退ける南部流の言い回し。獲物の匂いを追おうとしない猟犬のように、その計画は役に立たないという意味。単に「うまくいかない」と言うよりも色彩豊かで、丁寧だがきっぱりとした拒否の表現。

나쁜 아이디어나 주장을 일축하는 남부식 표현이다. 냄새를 쫓지 않는 사냥개처럼, 해당 계획은 쓸모가 없다는 뜻이다. 단순히 '그건 안 돼'라고 말하는 것보다 정중하면서도 단호한 거절 방법이다.

Examples

You think you can fix the roof by yourself? That dog won't hunt.
你觉得你能自己修屋顶？那是行不通的。
¿Crees que puedes arreglar el tejado tú solo? Eso no va a funcionar.
屋根を自分で直せると思ってるの？それは無理な話だよ。
혼자서 지붕 고칠 수 있다고? 그건 안 될 말이야.
His excuse about the traffic was weak — that dog won't hunt.
他拿堵车当借口太站不住脚了——那说不过去。
Su excusa del tráfico era floja; eso no cuela.
渋滞のせいだって言い訳は弱すぎる——そんな話は通用しないよ。
교통 체증 핑계는 너무 약해 — 그런 변명은 안 통해.
She tried to convince me to invest, but that dog won't hunt.
她想说服我投资，但那套说辞我不买账。
Intentó convencerme de invertir, pero ese plan no me convence.
彼女は投資するよう説得しようとしたけど、その話には乗れないな。
그녀가 투자하라고 설득하려 했지만, 그 이야기는 먹히지 않아.

Pronunciation

Usage Guide

Context: rejection, skepticism, arguments, politics

Tone: dismissive, folksy

✓ Do Say

That dog won't hunt.
那行不通的。
Eso no va a funcionar.
That dog won't hunt.（その話は通用しないよ）
그건 안 될 말이야.
Nice try, but that dog won't hunt.
不错的尝试，但那行不通。
Buen intento, pero eso no cuela.
Nice try, but that dog won't hunt.（いい線いってるけど、それじゃダメだな）
좋은 시도였지만, 그건 통하지 않아.

✗ Don't Say

Don't use about actual dogs — it's purely metaphorical about ideas and arguments
不要用于真正的狗——这完全是关于想法和论点的比喻
No se usa hablando de perros de verdad; es puramente metafórico sobre ideas y argumentos
本物の犬に対しては使わない——アイデアや議論に対する純粋な比喩表現
실제 개에 대해서는 쓰지 않는다 — 순전히 아이디어나 주장에 대한 비유적 표현이다

Origin & History

From the hunting tradition in the American South. A dog that won't hunt is useless to a hunter, just as a bad idea is useless in practice. The expression became famous in politics when used by Texas politicians.

Cultural Context

Era: Traditional

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Regional notes: Texas, throughout the South