the tail wagging the dog

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if you describe a situation as the tail wagging the dog, you mean that the least important part of a situation has too much influence over the most important part Steve thinks we should buy an orange carpet to match the lampshade but I think that would be a case of the tail wagging the dog.

See also: dog, tail, wag

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Is it a case of the tail wagging the dog or simply a cheap shot at raising the Plaid candidate's political profile? Island cash; yourLETTERS by Daily Post (Liverpool, England) This is the worst case of the tail wagging the dog I have ever come across. Slash this red tape; Your Say by Evening Gazette (Middlesbrough, England) I sometimes feel the public sector is the tail wagging the dog and it should not be allowed to continue. New NECC head goes on the attack by The Journal (Newcastle, England)			the shock of life the shoe is on the other foot The show must go on the silent majority the silly season the silver screen the sixty-four-thousand-dollar question The sky's the limit the slings and arrows the small hours the smart money the smoke the smoking gun The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak the spirit moves the staff of life the state of play the status quo the story of life the straight and narrow the straw that breaks the camel's back the strong, silent type the sun belt the swing of things the tail end of the tail wagging the dog the thin end of the wedge the thing is the thinking man's crumpet the third degree the three R's the time is ripe the tip of the iceberg the toast of the tools of the/ trade the top brass the top dog the top flight the top of the heap the top of the hour the top of the ladder the top of the tree the trouble with the twilight zone the upper crust the usual suspects The very idea! the villain of the piece The wages of sin is death the way things are the wheels are turning			The Swinge The Swiss Family Robinson The Sword and The Flame The sword of damocles The sword of damocles The Sword of Redwall The symbol of faith The symbol of faith The Syndicate The Synthetic Dream Foundation The Sysops Association Network The System Has Failed The System Shock Hack Project The System Shop The System Today The System Today The System Today The System Today The System Today The Systems Bible The Sytex Group, Inc. The Tabard The Tactile Mind The Tactile Mind Weekly the tail end of the tail of eye the tail of eye the tail of eye the tail of eye the tail of eye the tail wagging the dog The Taiping rebellion The Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal The Taj Motel Trio The Taker of the Affidavit The Taker of the Affidavit The Taker of the Affidavit The Taker of the Affidavit The Taker of the Affidavit The Tale of Genji The Talent Alliance The Talking Drum Collective The Tallini Family The Talmud The Talmud The Taming of the Shrew the Tan Sheet The Tanana Valley Model Railroad Club The Tangier American Legation Museum Society The Tanooki Board The Tanooki Clan The tap The tap The tap The Tape of Only Linda The Tar Baby The Task Force on Missionaries and Cults The Taskmaster The Taskmaster The Tasmanian Public Airwave Network

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