dog in the manger

== English == === Etymology === From a Greek fable about a dog preventing other animals from eating the hay in a manger, even though as a carnivore it could not eat the hay itself. Although the story was ascribed to Aesop's Fables in the 15th century, no ancient source does so. The phrase first appears in the writings of Diogenianus. === Pronunciation === === Noun === dog in the manger (plural dogs in the manger or dogs in mangers) (idiomatic) Someone who denies to others something that the denier cannot use. ==== Derived terms ==== dog-in-the-mangerism ==== Translations ====