A different kettle of fish

[1079] Dog-eat-dog world

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English Idioms
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Explanation

  • Describes an environment where people are fiercely competitive, ruthless, and prioritize their own success often at the expense of others.
  • Implies a lack of cooperation, ethics, or compassion in the pursuit of advancement or survival.

Origin

  • Derived ironically from the Latin proverb Canis caninam non est (a dog does not eat dog flesh), suggesting that even animals show some restraint towards their own kind.
  • The English phrase dog eat dog flips this to describe a situation where such natural restraint *is* absent, implying extreme, unnatural competitiveness.
  • The phrase became common in the 19th century to describe ruthless competition.

Synonyms & Related Expressions

  • Cutthroat (competition)
  • Survival of the fittest
  • Ruthless environment
  • Every man for himself / Every person for themselves
  • Rat race (emphasizes relentless, often meaningless competition)
  • Jungle (metaphor for lawless environment)
  • Shark tank

Alternatives

Slang/Informal:

  • Cutthroat
  • It's a jungle out there
  • Shark-infested waters / Shark tank
  • Backstabbing environment
  • Rat race

Vulgar/Emphatic:

  • Fucking cutthroat
  • Everyone's out to fuck everyone else over
  • A total shitshow of competition

Milder/Formal:

  • Highly competitive environment
  • Characterized by intense rivalry
  • Ruthlessly competitive
  • Zero-sum game (economic/strategic term)
  • An environment lacking collaborative spirit

Situational Appropriateness

  • Informal to semi-formal.
  • Expresses a harsh and cynical view, appropriate for candid discussions but perhaps too negative or informal for optimistic or highly formal settings.

Misunderstanding Warnings

  • The literal image is violent. Learners need to understand it refers to metaphorical ruthlessness and competition among humans, not literal dogs eating each other.

Examples

  • The fashion industry can be a dog-eat-dog world.
  • He quickly learned that in high finance, it's dog-eat-dog.
  • Welcome to the company; it's a dog-eat-dog world out here, so watch your back.

Dialogue

New recruit: Everyone seems so aggressive and focused only on their own sales numbers here.

Experienced colleague: Yeah, it's a dog-eat-dog world in this business. You've got to be tough and look out for yourself.

New recruit: Wow, okay. Good to know.

Social Media Examples

  • Tweet: Trying to break into the music industry feels like a dog-eat-dog world. So much talent, so few opportunities. #musicbiz #competition
  • LinkedIn post discussion: Is the corporate ladder still a dog-eat-dog world, or are companies fostering more collaboration? #corporateculture #worklife
  • Reddit comment: That reality show is pure dog-eat-dog world drama. Everyone betraying everyone else.

Response Patterns

  • Agreement/Resignation: Tell me about it. / You're not wrong. / That's just how it is.
  • Disagreement/Optimism: I don't think it has to be that way. / Maybe in some parts, but not everywhere.
  • Sharing experiences: Yeah, I remember when... (giving an example of ruthless behavior).
  • Questioning: Is it really that bad?

Common Follow-up Questions/Actions

  • Discussing specific examples of ruthless behavior or competition.
  • Sharing strategies for navigating such an environment.
  • Expressing cynicism about human nature or specific industries.
  • Debating whether collaboration is possible.

Conversation Starter

  • Yes. Can be used as a general comment to describe a competitive field, industry, or situation being discussed.

Intonation

  • Strong, even stress across DOG-EAT-DOG. It's a DOG-EAT-DOG world.
  • Often said with a tone of cynicism, realism, or warning.

Generation Differences

  • Widely understood across generations as a metaphor for ruthless competition.

Regional Variations

  • Common in all English-speaking regions.
A different kettle of fish
🎲 Guinea pig