On Fri, 17 Mar 2017 12:01:08 -0700, bill van <
bil...@delete.shaw.ca>
wrote:
>In article <
ej22ga...@mid.individual.net>, Cheryl <
cper...@mun.ca>
>wrote:
>
>> On 2017-03-17 9:45 AM, GordonD wrote:
>> > On 16/03/2017 18:46, Cheryl wrote:
>> >> On 2017-03-16 3:05 PM, Quinn C wrote:
>> >>> * GordonD:
>> >>>
>> >>>> On 13/03/2017 16:54, Cheryl wrote:
>> >>>>> On 2017-03-13 2:07 PM, Lanarcam wrote:
>> >>>>>> Le 13/03/2017 ?7:17, Cheryl a ?it :
I'm familar with it from Churchill's use, but it goes back a couple of
centruries before then.
OED:
black dog, n.
2. fig. Melancholy, depression. Cf. to have the (also a) black dog
on one's back (also shoulder) at Phrases.
1776 H. L. Thrale Let. 16 May in Lett. to & from S. Johnson (1788)
I. cli. 331 He scorns the black dog now: he will swing him round
and round soon as Smollet's heroes do.
....
Phrases
"to have the (also a) black dog on one's back (also shoulder)": to
be depressed or in a bad mood.
1790 H. L. Thrale Diary 19 Oct. in Thraliana (1951) II. 785 The
Black Dog is upon his Back; was a common saying some Years ago
when a Man was seen troubled with Melancholy.
1871 Eclectic Mag. June 682/2 He got up and shook himself as if,
like the children, he felt ‘the black dog on his back’, and for
once his mother was glad when he went away.
....
There's no suggestion there that meeting, or having your path crossed
by, a black dog brings bad luck.