Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
who let the dogs out
English answer:
depending on context:'look at that mess', 'look at that/those ugly woman/women!' (crass and often aggressive)
Added to glossary by
Ken Cox
May 7, 2005 19:33
19 yrs ago
8 viewers *
English term
Tess
who let the dogs out
English
Other
Linguistics
What does this saying mean? Cannot seem to find it any dictionary
Responses
Change log
May 7, 2005 20:13: Ken Cox changed "Level" from "Non-PRO" to "PRO"
Votes to reclassify question as PRO/non-PRO:
PRO (3): Kirill Semenov, Ken Cox, Carolingua
Non-PRO (1): rangepost
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Responses
+7
40 mins
Selected
possible meaning
I agree with Kim that more context is needed, since this is not a 'saying' but instead an expression whose meaning depends on the context.
That being said, if your context is the 'Baha Men' song, after listening to the song and seeing the video clip I'd say that in that specific context it means roughly 'where did all those unattractive women come from?' (my apologies to anyone who may be offended, but I didn't write the song...).
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Note added at 3 hrs 1 min (2005-05-07 22:35:00 GMT)
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So maybe I fell for a \'parody video\', but judging from several other answers it didn\'t come from out of the blue. I have no argument with the \'original\' meaning, but one must also recognise how the expression is used in practice.
It\'s not uncommon for expressions (especially catchy phrases) to be adopted for purposes other than their original purpose, with correspondingly altered meanings, and I can\'t see how one can claim that such modified meanings are invalid. Language ultimately means what people understand it to mean.
Finally, I feel a bit sorry for the asker, who (as so often in questions of this sort) seems to have gotten lost in the melee. It would certainly be nice to know the context the asker had in mind. Still, it appears that the answers collectively provide a good indication of the meaning of the epxression.
That being said, if your context is the 'Baha Men' song, after listening to the song and seeing the video clip I'd say that in that specific context it means roughly 'where did all those unattractive women come from?' (my apologies to anyone who may be offended, but I didn't write the song...).
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Note added at 3 hrs 1 min (2005-05-07 22:35:00 GMT)
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So maybe I fell for a \'parody video\', but judging from several other answers it didn\'t come from out of the blue. I have no argument with the \'original\' meaning, but one must also recognise how the expression is used in practice.
It\'s not uncommon for expressions (especially catchy phrases) to be adopted for purposes other than their original purpose, with correspondingly altered meanings, and I can\'t see how one can claim that such modified meanings are invalid. Language ultimately means what people understand it to mean.
Finally, I feel a bit sorry for the asker, who (as so often in questions of this sort) seems to have gotten lost in the melee. It would certainly be nice to know the context the asker had in mind. Still, it appears that the answers collectively provide a good indication of the meaning of the epxression.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Carolingua
: oh my gosh, we had the same thought at the same time!
2 mins
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| agree |
RHELLER
: yes, very crass reference http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Baha Men
6 mins
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| disagree |
Java Cafe
: Not really! If you see the movie, you will realize, the song, *if* it can be used metaphorically at all, is saying, "Who is responsible for creating such a mess (causing this much chaos)?" It's endearing story about a few very cute, but very messy kids.
7 mins
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Could be. As noted, the meaning depends on the context. I haven't seen the movie, just the video clip. // If the original meaning was 'innocent', whoever made the video clip has a warped sense of humour.
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| agree |
Laurel Porter (X)
: Java, I'm afraid you're being too literal... The song may have been originally heard in the context of the movie, but NOW in the US the connotation when used in speech refers to ugly women and/or aggressive behavior, thuggishness, etc.
45 mins
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Thanks; I hadn't thought of the other connotations. In any case it epresses dislike or disapproval (except when used ironically, and even then it would be on the edge -- but that's getting pretty subtle).
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| agree |
jerrie
: Used by Victoria Beckham upon sighting Jordan (Katie Price) at an esteemed evening venue somewhere in London .... for me, this is the correct interpretation (UK)!
11 hrs
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| agree |
Melanie Nassar
: I confess, I never heard the song or saw the movie, but I've heard the phrase a lot, and always with this meaning.
13 hrs
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| agree |
John Bowden
: Yes, you're right - the use of the song in the Rugrats film simply made it well-known, and has nothing to do with the way it's actually used to attack people!
18 hrs
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| agree |
Alfa Trans (X)
20 hrs
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| agree |
Kim Metzger
1 day 20 hrs
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Graded automatically based on peer agreement."
+2
9 mins
Kirill Semenov
Ukraine
Ukraine
Works in field
Ukraine
60+ books translated and published
Native in: Russian 
Works in: English to Russian, Russian
Related KudoZ points
:
8
who allowed a violence to happen?
Who is guilty in the fact that something or someone, which had to be kept at bay, got freedom and caused some unpleasant events?
Dogs have to be kept on the leash so that they didn't harm anyone. So, if they are free, who had freed them?
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Note added at 10 mins (2005-05-07 19:43:35 GMT)
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This is a rhetorical question or a metaphor, of course.
Dogs have to be kept on the leash so that they didn't harm anyone. So, if they are free, who had freed them?
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Note added at 10 mins (2005-05-07 19:43:35 GMT)
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This is a rhetorical question or a metaphor, of course.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Kim Metzger
: Similar to "unleash the dogs of war."
6 mins
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yes, this is the allusion which comes to mind first, I think :)
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| agree |
Ray Luo
: http://cc.msnscache.com/cache.aspx?q=1761534107499&lang=en-U...
11 hrs
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15 mins
more context required
It probably means who let the dogs escape, i.e. animals that can potentially do damage (e.g. kill sheep), or that you don't want to get lost - see this article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3712960.stm
Also used in this sense metaphorically: Torture, the CIA and the Press
Who Let the Dogs Out? http://www.counterpunch.org/valentine05082004.html
It's also a song: Most Popular Album(s) by This Artist
Who Let the Dogs Out ~ Baha Men (Rate it)
Baha Men - Greatest Movie Hits ~ Baha Men (Rate it)
Move It Like This ~ Baha Men (Rate it) http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/artist/glance/-/...
Also used in this sense metaphorically: Torture, the CIA and the Press
Who Let the Dogs Out? http://www.counterpunch.org/valentine05082004.html
It's also a song: Most Popular Album(s) by This Artist
Who Let the Dogs Out ~ Baha Men (Rate it)
Baha Men - Greatest Movie Hits ~ Baha Men (Rate it)
Move It Like This ~ Baha Men (Rate it) http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/artist/glance/-/...
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Java Cafe
: I hate to be repetitive! But, that article on the CIA is a perfect example of a gratuitous refernce to the lyrics of the song from Rugrats movie! Likewise, hundreds of other articles have failed to resist the temptation.
45 mins
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+6
12 mins
Lyrics of a song . . .
. . from a Rugrats movie. Sung by "Baha Men."
The lyrics may be found at http://www.lyricsondemand.com/onehitwonders/wholetthedogsout... .
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Note added at 16 mins (2005-05-07 19:49:49 GMT)
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This song became ENORMOUSLY popular about three or four years, much like the Bobby Mcferrin song, \"Don\'t Worry, Be Happy\" quite some time earlier, and managed to permeate popular culture.
It is, therefore, commonly referred to -- sometimes even meaninglessly -- in informal spoken or written language, in the USA.
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Note added at 20 mins (2005-05-07 19:53:19 GMT)
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If you do a Google search on the phrase \"Who let the dogs out?\" most of what you will see are gratuitous refernces to the phrase; attempts to make a piece of writing a little more popular by associating itself with this very popular song.
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Note added at 21 mins (2005-05-07 19:54:47 GMT)
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The movie in which this song appeared is \"RUGRATS IN PARIS-THE MOVIE.\" More details at http://www.rugratonline.com/rrmovie4.htm .
The lyrics may be found at http://www.lyricsondemand.com/onehitwonders/wholetthedogsout... .
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Note added at 16 mins (2005-05-07 19:49:49 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
This song became ENORMOUSLY popular about three or four years, much like the Bobby Mcferrin song, \"Don\'t Worry, Be Happy\" quite some time earlier, and managed to permeate popular culture.
It is, therefore, commonly referred to -- sometimes even meaninglessly -- in informal spoken or written language, in the USA.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 20 mins (2005-05-07 19:53:19 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
If you do a Google search on the phrase \"Who let the dogs out?\" most of what you will see are gratuitous refernces to the phrase; attempts to make a piece of writing a little more popular by associating itself with this very popular song.
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Note added at 21 mins (2005-05-07 19:54:47 GMT)
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The movie in which this song appeared is \"RUGRATS IN PARIS-THE MOVIE.\" More details at http://www.rugratonline.com/rrmovie4.htm .
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Mónica Belén Colacilli
11 mins
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Thank you.
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| agree |
rangepost
47 mins
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Thank you!
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| agree |
Robert Donahue (X)
: Wow...craziness. : ) It's a pop song. It was very popular for far too long.
1 hr
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Thanks, Robert! I, too, am shaking my head with disbelief.
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| agree |
Rania KH
2 hrs
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Thank you, Rania!
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| agree |
Maria Nicholas (X)
: Very very correct.
3 hrs
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Many thanks to you, Maria!
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| agree |
Saleh Chowdhury, Ph.D.
12 hrs
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Thank you!
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| neutral |
juvera
: I have to disappoint you, "they" didn't write the song, and it wasn't written for the "Rugrats in Paris" movie, And originally it certainly wasn't written for kiddies. And yes, it does mean something. Yours is only half of the story.
13 hrs
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+2
1 hr
Rezeptionstheorie...
As with so much else, what is called in German the "Rezeption" of a piece of art/literature/music. i.e. the way in which it is "understood" and used by the "consumers" of the work - readers, listeners, theatre-goers etc. - can be very different from what the creator might originally have intended, and the original intention or meaning can become distorted or altered in popular usage, while the author's original intention gets forgotten. I quite agree with the factual origins of the song given by other Answerers - I would just add that, according to my 22-year-old daughter and 21-year-old son, who go to a lot of clubs in Liverpool and Sheffield respectively, in the UK at least the song is sung/chanted by groups of young men at girls they consider to be ugly or unattractive as an insult & macho threat - whenever the song is played at a club, many of the young females leave the dance floor because they don't like the way in which the young men use the song to attack them. This now seems to be he predominant "meaning" and interpretation of the song in UK clubs, however it started out!
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Robert Donahue (X)
: So YMCA isn't about a cheap place to stay? But there you can have a good meal, you can get yourself clean, you can do whatever you..... Oh, ok, got it now. Thanks. : )
58 mins
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If you don't understand the answer, you really shouldn't comment on it.
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Carolingua
: I agree--the way a piece may be interpreted or understood is an important point that should be considered.
1 hr
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Thanks - the original question was "what does the phrase mean?", not "What movie did it feature in"!
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Melanie Nassar
: interestingly enough, I just heard this exact phrase used in this way.(see ask asker note)
1 day 19 hrs
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Thanks!
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+4
1 hr
juvera
Works in field
The lyrics are about disrespectful men who hit on women at a party.
Song by Anselm Douglas, a musician from Trinidad
It was written two years before The Baha Men recorded it in 2000.
Various versions were hits in the Caribbean, but The Baha Men toned down the Calypso rhythm to make it more appealing to American listeners.
Desmond Child helped produce this. He is a prolific hitmaker who had worked with many artists. His slick production helped make this accessable to a mainstream audience.
At many American sporting events, this was used after the home team made a big play.
This caused a spat with the Seattle Mariners baseball team. Catcher Joe Oliver was using it as his theme music, but shortstop Alex Rodriguez wanted to use it. Rodriguez got his way because he was the star. The next year, Rodriquez signed a record $252 million contract with the Texas Rangers.
The title became a popular catch phrase in America when it was used in the 2000 World Series between the Mets and Yankees. At one point, an exasperated reporter who was sick of hearing the same questions over and over asked Yankees manager Joe Torre if he knew who let the dogs out.
This is very popular with kids. It was voted best video on the Nickelodeon awards.
This was used in the movie Rugrats In Paris. The deal was made before the song became a hit.
Younger, video-friendly singers were brought in to front the group when it became clear this was a breakout hit for The Baha Men.
The Baha Men performed this live on ESPN's Sportscenter in 2000.
It won the 2000 Grammy for Best Dance Recording.
It was written two years before The Baha Men recorded it in 2000.
Various versions were hits in the Caribbean, but The Baha Men toned down the Calypso rhythm to make it more appealing to American listeners.
Desmond Child helped produce this. He is a prolific hitmaker who had worked with many artists. His slick production helped make this accessable to a mainstream audience.
At many American sporting events, this was used after the home team made a big play.
This caused a spat with the Seattle Mariners baseball team. Catcher Joe Oliver was using it as his theme music, but shortstop Alex Rodriguez wanted to use it. Rodriguez got his way because he was the star. The next year, Rodriquez signed a record $252 million contract with the Texas Rangers.
The title became a popular catch phrase in America when it was used in the 2000 World Series between the Mets and Yankees. At one point, an exasperated reporter who was sick of hearing the same questions over and over asked Yankees manager Joe Torre if he knew who let the dogs out.
This is very popular with kids. It was voted best video on the Nickelodeon awards.
This was used in the movie Rugrats In Paris. The deal was made before the song became a hit.
Younger, video-friendly singers were brought in to front the group when it became clear this was a breakout hit for The Baha Men.
The Baha Men performed this live on ESPN's Sportscenter in 2000.
It won the 2000 Grammy for Best Dance Recording.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
John Bowden
: Absolutely! And "disrespectful men" still use it aggressively (see my comment above)
5 mins
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Thanks. ;-)
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| agree |
airmailrpl
: -
1 hr
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Thanks.
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| agree |
Carolingua
: Very informative!
1 hr
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Thanks.
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| agree |
Carmen Schultz
: Very thorough and complete explanation
8 hrs
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Thanks.
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Discussion