See a man about a dog


To see a man about a dog or horse is a British English idiom, usually used as a way to apologise for one's imminent departure or absence, generally to euphemistically conceal one's true purpose, such as going to use the toilet or going to buy a drink. The original non-facetious meaning was probably to place or settle a bet on a racing dog. Picture the phrase said with a wink. In England/UK the phrase is generally used nowadays as a tongue in cheek way to let people know that you are about to be, or have been up to no good, usually illegal activities. Basically a polite way of saying.... "I have been out, don't ask where." "

Historical usage

The earliest confirmed publication is the 1866 Dion Boucicault play Flying Scud in which a character knowingly breezes past a difficult situation saying, "Excuse me Mr. Quail, I can't stop; I've got to see a man about a dog." Time magazine observed that the phrase was the play's "claim to fame".
During Prohibition in the United States, the phrase was most commonly used in relation to the consumption or purchase of alcoholic beverages. In Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle Brown Ale commonly gained the nickname of "Dog" from the frequent use of the phrase to describe going to the pub.