tail wagging the dog

== English == === Etymology === First used in the 1858 play Our American Cousin. The shortened form wag the dog, with a political sense, was popularized by the film Wag the Dog (1997). For the verb phrase, see the tail wags the dog. === Pronunciation === === Noun === tail wagging the dog (idiomatic) A minor or secondary part of something which is controlling or dominating the whole or the main part. ==== Derived terms ==== wag the dog ==== Translations ==== ==== See also ==== put the cart before the horse