wag the dog
English
editEtymology
editFrom tail wagging the dog, first used in the 1858 play, Our American Cousin. The shortened form with the political sense was popularized by the film Wag the Dog (1997).
Pronunciation
editAudio (General Australian): (file)
Verb
editwag the dog (third-person singular simple present wags the dog, present participle wagging the dog, simple past and past participle wagged the dog)