barking harm a wrong tree

[giant]

hi everybody!!!

i just heard my friend spoke out a phrase that is so wonder for me  ???and i try to asked him but he did not tell me  .. so i would like everybody explain me the meaning of barking harm a wrong tree 

thank for your reply
sokha,

[Paul Brown (MA CELTA)]

 Hey Sokha, 

 It seems to me that you may be barking up the wrong tree with that.  I have never heard the expression barking harms the wrong tree! The correct expression is ' to be barking up the wrong tree' and a synonym is 'to get the wrong end of the stick'. Both these expressions mean to completely misunderstand something and have the totally wrong idea about something.

 We will have more idioms and idiomatic expressions coming on the site soon...

 Have fun, 

 Paul

[Suy Prasoeur]

Hi Sokha and Paul,

That's extremely interesting! Paul, I wonder if you could start or end the radio show with those interesting idioms and idiomatic expressions? It'd be much fun to learn more about them.

Thanks,
Prasoeur

[Tdol]

The expression originates from a type of dog called a setter, which is used in Europe for hunting birds. The dog sees which trees have birds in them, creeps up and then barks to 'set' the birds, which means that they are surprised and fly out of the tree so that the hunter can shoot them.  However, when young, the dogs often make mistakes and 'bark up the wrong tree', one that has no birds in it. 

[sophina]

hi everyone
i'm phina i think that it's just an idiom so it doesn't mean what it is, but if u just want to make fun it ok
ummm i hope paul'll give us more about other fabulous idioms thanks

study is property

[jupiter]

Hi Sophina,

Welcome to the site!!!

I would like to know what do you mean by " i think that it's just an idiom so it doesn't mean what it is, but if u just want to make fun it ok"?

Thanks in advance

Jupiter

[giant]

hi Paul and every body,

how are all of you, for me i'm very fantastic,
anyway I'm so thank for your explanation, and give me the right way of using, and the origination of this expression so i don't afraid to speak it out back to my friend anymore, and i'm so glad to hear my question on the radio thank again,

best wish,
Giant

[Tdol]

Here's another idiom.  Do you know the origin of 'throw the towel in'? 

[Keo Somala]

  Do you know the origin of 'throw the towel in'?

Hi

I think 'throw the towel in' originates from boxing.  It means "to accept defeat from our opponent". When the boxer cannot continue anymore, he or his coach will throw the white towel in to accept defeat. 

I will never throw the towel in if you don't. 

[Tdol]

Exactly.  Boxing is a good source of idioms. 

[Paul Brown (MA CELTA)]

 
 Hey guys,

 Thanks TDOL for that great idiom from boxing. I do remember TDOL mentioning to me the origin of another idiom, which is also very interesting. Lets see if you guys can guess the real meaning of this idiom before TDOL can hopefully remind me and tell everyone else!

 The idiom is .....to let the cat out of the bag

 Where do you think that one comes from?

 Have fun,

 Paul

[Keo Somala]

Hi Paul,

You let the cat out of the bag when you tell a big secret. Once you let the cat out of the bag it is virtually impossible to put the cat back into the bag. Wow...I don't know where it is from 

[Tdol]

The cat does not refer to the animal, but to the 'cat of nine tails', which was a whip used by the navy to discipline sailors.  It was kept in a bag, and when it was 'let out of the bag', there was trouble.  'Not enough room to swing a cat' comes from the same source. 

http://www.nmm.ac.uk/upload/img_400/D3920_20030127111321.jpg

[Suy Prasoeur]

Hi Tidol, what is it used for? I don't think I have seen that before ...
I thought that was a Meo Meo cat.

[Tdol]

It's a brutal form of punishment that was used in the navy.