look for a dog to kick
English
Etymology
Referring to the tendency some people have to vent their frustrations on things which appear to be unable to defend themselves, such as dogs.
Pronunciation
Audio (General Australian): (file)
Verb
look for a dog to kick (third-person singular simple present looks for a dog to kick, present participle looking for a dog to kick, simple past and past participle looked for a dog to kick)
- (idiomatic) To seek someone or something to blame. Synonym: take it out on
See also
- displaced aggression
- it is easy to find a stick to beat a dog
- scapegoat