(as) happy as a flea in a doghouse

Very happy and contented in one's situation. Johnny loves politics, so he's as happy as a flea in a doghouse at this convention. She settled into the chair with a glass of wine and a book, happy as a flea in a doghouse. I'm home from that work trip and happy as a flea in a doghouse. I can't wait to sleep in my own bed tonight!

be in the doghouse

slang To be in trouble with someone due to one's misdeeds or blunders. I'll be in the doghouse if I come into work late again this week. You've been in the doghouse with Maria ever since you forgot her birthday. If you tell her I was the one who jammed the printer—again—I'll definitely be in the doghouse.

See also: doghouse

get in the doghouse

slang To get into trouble (with someone) due to one's misdeeds or blunders. I got in the doghouse at work because I showed up late yesterday. You're going to get in the doghouse if you forget Maria's birthday again. A: "How'd you get in the doghouse?" B: "I'm the one who jammed the printer—again."

in the doghouse

slang In trouble with someone due to one's misdeeds or blunders. I'll be in the doghouse if I come into work late again this week. You've been in the doghouse with Maria ever since you forgot her birthday. If you tell her I was the one who jammed the printer—again—I'll definitely be in the doghouse.

See also: doghouse

land (one) in the doghouse

slang To cause one to be in great disfavor (with someone else) as a result of one's misdeeds or blunders. If I come home late from work again this week, it's really going to land me in the doghouse with my wife.

put (one) in the doghouse

slang To hold one in great disfavor as a result of one's misdeeds or blunders. My wife is going to put me in the doghouse if I come home late from work again this week.

*in the doghouse

Fig. in trouble; in (someone's) disfavor. (*Typically: be ~; get ~; find oneself ~; put someone [into] ~.) I'm really in the doghouse with my boss. I was late for an appointment. I hate being in the doghouse all the time. I don't know why I can't stay out of trouble.

See also: doghouse

in the doghouse

In disfavor, in trouble, as in Jane knew that forgetting the check would put her in the doghouse. This expression alludes to relegating a dog that misbehaves to its outdoor kennel. [c. 1900]

See also: doghouse

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

in the doghouse

INFORMAL

If you are in the doghouse, someone is annoyed with you because of something you have done. If you give her a birthday card and nothing else, you'll be in the doghouse. Four Caribbean prime ministers have landed themselves in the doghouse after failing to turn up to a top-level meeting at the White House. Note: In American English, a `doghouse' is a kennel.

See also: doghouse

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012

in the doghouse (or dogbox)

in disgrace or disfavour. informal

1963 Pamela Hansford Johnson Night & Silence He'd been getting bad grades, he was in the dog-house as it was.

See also: doghouse

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

be in the ˈdoghouse

(South African be in the ˈdogbox) (informal) in a situation where somebody is angry with you because you have done something wrong: I’m in the doghouse with my wife at the moment: I forgot it was her birthday yesterday!

See also: doghouse

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

in the doghouse

Slang

In great disfavor or trouble.

See also: doghouse

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

in the doghouse

In disgrace. The term alludes to sending a dog that misbehaves indoors to its outdoor kennel. It is of relatively recent origin, presumably from about 1900. In James Barrie’s Peter Pan (1904) Mr. Darling mistreats the children’s favorite, a dog named Nana, and in penance goes to live in the dog’s house.

See also: doghouse

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References in periodicals archive

"We only opened the Doghouse a year ago and it could not have gone better.

Major tourist award for pet paradise; The Doghouse wins Pet Friendly prize

According to the charge sheet, prosecutors said the suspect entered the villa's backyard, stole the dogs and doused the doghouse with a flammable material and set it on fire.

Student denies stealing 2 American Bully dogs worth Dh44,000

As you show both sides of the three doghouse cards and the Daisy card, you say, "This is my dog Daisy.

Find Daisy

DUBAI Growing concern for dogs languishing in the scorching sun has prompted a dog lover to design and build air-conditioned doghouses in Dubai.

Some dogs have it cool

Catlow proposed the construction of "doghouses" to enclose each of the air intakes on the roof.

Noise solution proposed at plant

We're giving away four tickets to each of the shows at The Doghouse in Dundee, The Lemon Tree in Aberdeen, Electric Circus in Edinburgh and G2 in Glasgow.

WIN Tickets to Quarriers Live's gig nights

The Doghouse star confessed in new book Straight Up to being less than impressed by Jones' attempts at conveying emotion when the British hardmen paired up for 2001 jail drama Mean Machine.

DANNY Dyer has hit out [...]

It seems when men are "in the doghouse," dogs are in the therapist's chair.

Puppy Love

Each time I walk by one of the students' houses here, where they're knocking down a portion of a fence but never replacing it with anything, I see this one mutt chained to its doghouse. The human house here is big and light, but the dog is small and as black as coal; the house he's guarding is symmetrical and looks good in all sorts of weather, whereas the dog ...

As in Heaven

I was eyeing a nice little doghouse that would hold up in the rain, but the $90 price tag was a little rich for my blood.

Rainy-day doghouse

The nine-year-old collie cross called Jack landed on a ledge 200ft above the sea and was stranded on Doghouse Hill, near Eype in Dorset.

Dog rescue; britain ROUND-UP

The Dundee hellraisers played an emotional set at city club The Doghouse in the last gig before it shuts down.

View close club in style

The MAXVAX 1000T features include: enclosed heated doghouse (all components), debris transfer system and all controls electric over hydraulic (no PTO's); a large tandem mounted hydrovac with a 1,850 gallon debris tank; and a 1,000 gallon water tank.

AmeriVac Group

The freshman from West Memphis toyed with John Pelphrey's patience all season and finished up the year in the doghouse for the basketball Hogs, who could have used his scoring against Florida in their one game in the SEC Tournament.

Jason Henry