How do you use "Dog's dinner" in a sentence?

He made a right dog's dinner of that. The project was a complete dog's dinner. She was done up like a dog's dinner.

Dog's dinner

Q: What does "Dog's dinner" mean?

A mess; something done badly or chaotically. Making a 'dog's dinner' of something means making a mess of it—a chaotic, badly-done job. Alternatively, 'done up like a dog's dinner' means overdressed or overly made up.

Slang Term BritishAustralian ★★★☆☆ Moderate Casual

Practice this with flashcards, quizzes & audio on WordLoci →

Meaning: A mess; something done badly or chaotically.

一团糟；做得很糟糕或混乱的事。

Un desastre; algo hecho mal o caóticamente.

めちゃくちゃ；ひどくやったこと。

엉망진창; 형편없이 한 일.

Making a 'dog's dinner' of something means making a mess of it—a chaotic, badly-done job. Alternatively, 'done up like a dog's dinner' means overdressed or overly made up.

把某事做成'dog's dinner'意味着把它搞砸——混乱、做得很糟。另外，'done up like a dog's dinner'意味着穿得太花哨或化妆过度。

Hacer un 'dog's dinner' de algo significa hacer un desastre—un trabajo caótico y mal hecho. Alternativamente, 'done up like a dog's dinner' significa vestirse de forma exagerada o maquillarse demasiado.

何かを「dog's dinner」にするとは、めちゃくちゃにすること—混乱した、ひどい仕事。または、「done up like a dog's dinner」は派手に着飾りすぎ、化粧しすぎという意味です。

무언가를 'dog's dinner'로 만든다는 것은 엉망으로 만든다는 뜻으로, 혼란스럽고 형편없이 한 일을 의미한다. 반면에 'done up like a dog's dinner'는 지나치게 차려입었다는 뜻이다.

Examples

He made a right dog's dinner of that.
他把那件事搞得一团糟
Hizo un verdadero desastre con eso
彼はそれをめちゃくちゃにした
그는 그걸 완전히 엉망으로 만들었다.
The project was a complete dog's dinner.
这个项目完全是一团糟
El proyecto fue un completo desastre
プロジェクトは完全な失敗だった
프로젝트는 완전한 엉망이었다.
She was done up like a dog's dinner.
她打扮得花里胡哨的
Iba vestida de forma muy llamativa
彼女は派手に着飾っていた
그녀는 지나치게 차려입고 있었다.

Pronunciation

/dɒɡz ˈdɪnə/

Usage Guide

Context: mess, failure, overdressing

Tone: critical, humorous

✓ Do Say

Dog's dinner
一团糟
Un desastre
めちゃくちゃ
엉망진창
Made a dog's dinner of it
搞得一团糟
Lo hizo un desastre
めちゃくちゃにした
엉망진창으로 만들었어

Common Mistakes

Has two meanings: mess OR overdressed

Origin & History

British expression evoking the messy, unappetising look of dog food. The alternative meaning (overdressed) may come from the contrast between a dog's actual meal and elaborate presentation.

Etymology: From the messy appearance of dog food

First recorded: 20th century British

Cultural Context

Era: 20th century

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Pop culture: British expressions

Regional notes: British/Australian expression.

Variations

Dog's dinnerDone up like a dog's dinner