bark

bark something out at someone and bark something at someone; bark something to someone; bark something out (to someone)

Fig. to say something harshly to someone. The sergeant barked the orders out at the recruits. He barked an order at his staff. The teacher barked a reprimand out to the class. He barked out the order clearly and loudly.

See also: out

bark at someone or something

Lit. [for a dog] to make a characteristic sharp sound at someone or something. (See also bark at someone.) The dog is barking at the traffic again. Their guard dog was barking at me.

bark at someone

Fig. to speak harshly to someone. Don't bark at me like that over such a trivial mistake! Ken barked at the children for being noisy.

bark up the wrong tree

Fig. to make the wrong choice; to ask the wrong person; to follow the wrong course. (Alludes to a dog in pursuit of an animal, where the animal is in one tree and the dog is barking at another tree.) If you think I'm the guilty person, you're barking up the wrong tree. The hitters blamed the team's bad record on the pitchers, but they were barking up the wrong tree.

See also: tree, up, wrong

barking dog never bites

Prov. Someone who makes threats all the time seldom carries out the threats. Old Mrs. Smith keeps saying she'll call the police if we walk on her lawn, but don't worry. A barking dog never bites. My boss threatens to fire me at least once a week, but a barking dog never bites.

See also: bite, dog, never

One's bark is worse than one's bite.

Prov. Someone makes a lot of harsh-sounding threats but never carries them out. Don't get upset at anything my father says. His bark is worse than his bite. Jill: Lisa says she's going to sue me for letting my dog dig up her rosebushes. John: Don't pay any attention. Her bark is worse than her bite.

See also: bite, worse

Why keep a dog and bark yourself?

Prov. You should not do something you have hired someone else to do. Ellen: The cleaning lady washes my floors every Tuesday, but I always wash them over again. Jane: Don't be silly, Ellen. Why keep a dog and bark yourself?

See also: and, dog, keep, why

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somebody's bark is worse than their bite

if someone's bark is worse than their bite, they are not as unpleasant as they seem, and their actions are not as bad as their threats I wouldn't be scared of her if I were you. Her bark's a lot worse than her bite.

See also: bite, worse

be barking mad  (British & Australian old-fashioned)

to be crazy You went swimming in the sea in the middle of winter? You must be barking mad!

See also: mad

be barking up the wrong tree  (informal)

to be wrong about the reason for something or the way to achieve something New evidence suggests that we have been barking up the wrong tree in our search for a cure.

See also: tree, up, wrong

Why keep a dog and bark yourself?  (British & Australian)

something that you say which means there is no purpose in doing something yourself when there is someone else who will do it for you Just leave the glasses on the table - the bar staff will collect them. After all, why keep a dog and bark yourself?

See also: and, dog, keep, why

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somebody/something has more bark than bite also somebody's/something's bark is worse than their/its bite

something is not as unpleasant as you expected The storm turned out to have far more bark than bite. My boss sounds tough, but her bark is much worse than her bite, and she's actually pretty easy to work for once you get to know her.

See also: bite, has, more

barking up the wrong tree

believing the wrong explanation for something He had nothing to do with the robbery - the cops are really barking up the wrong tree this time.

See also: tree, up, wrong