The English We Speak – In the doghouse

Feifei: Hi Rob. Nice to see you here in the park with this lovely dog.

(Dog barks)

Rob: Hi Feifei. Yes, this is Fido. As they say, dog is a man’s best friend and… he is my best friend. I’m taking him for a walk. But we have to get back home soon.

Feifei: Why Rob? I was going to ask if you wanted a coffee…

Rob: Thank you, Feifei, but I can’t. I love walking Fido and sometimes I forget to look at my watch. I keep coming home late for dinner and the family is annoyed because the food gets cold. I’m in the doghouse at the moment.

Feifei: You are in the doghouse?! That’s terrible, Rob! How can you say your dog is your best friend if you kick him out of his own home?

(Dog barks)

Rob: No, no, it’s not that…

Feifei: Now this poor dog will be left out in the cold, in the rain… Poor Fido! If you are in the doghouse, where does this lovely dog sleep?

Rob: Well, Fido sleeps where he always does: in the doghouse. But in English, we can say someone is ‘in the doghouse’ if they’ve annoyed another person.

Feifei: So your family is annoyed with you because you were inconsiderate to them.

Rob: That’s right. ‘In the doghouse’ is the expression you’ll learn in today’s The English We Speak. Let’s hear some examples.

• President Bill Clinton said he was “in the doghouse” after the revelations about his affair with Monica Lewinsky. His wife even considered leaving him.

• My mother is furious with me. I forgot to do my homework again so I’m in the doghouse.

Feifei: So if you go home on time for dinner, you won’t be in the doghouse anymore.

Rob: That’s what I hope.

(Cat meows)

(Dog barks)

Feifei: Then maybe you’d better hold onto the lead and control Fido.

Rob: Come on Fido! Quiet. Calm down, boy. Ignore that cat.

(Dog growls)

Feifei: Oh, come on, Fido, quiet or you’ll be in the doghouse.

(Dog barks)

Rob: Come on, Fido! Come on, boy! Who is a good boy? Come on! Get out of here, you cheeky cat!

Rob: Bye.

Feifei: Bye.

Cat: Meow.