Common Phrase – Man’s best friend.
A dog.
If you’ve spent any time with native English speakers, watched American and British TV shows, or read English books, you’ll probably have come across the phrase Man’s Best Friend. Man’s Best Friend does not refer to an actual person, a favourite car, or even the latest mobile phone. Man’s Best Friend is — of course — the faithful dog.
What Does “Man’s Best Friend” Mean?
First of all, let’s make something clear: the “man” in this phrase (and this article) refers to human beings in general. Dogs don’t care if you are a man or a woman.
A Bond Going Back Centuries
This phrase has come about as a result of the long relationship and close bond between man and dog. For hundreds of years, the dog has been a faithful and loyal servant for man. Dogs have been hunting, tracking, fetching and guarding for man for centuries. You can read about an early example of the close bond between man and dog in The Legend of Gelert. This legend goes back to the 13th century. Man’s Best Friend has always been there for us. This quote from Voltaire (French philosopher) dates back to the 18th century:
It seems that nature has given the dog to man for his defence and for his pleasure. Of all the animals it is the most faithful: it is the best friend man can have.
A Companion, Not Just a Servant
Today dogs are more of a companion than a servant. Dogs are the perfect companion because they are loyal and always pleased to see us. All over the world, workers are greeted on their return home by a grin and a wagging tail. Dogs don’t ask for much in return — some food, an occasional stroke, and perhaps a walk now and then.
More Dogs on FunkyEnglish:
- Big List of Dog Idioms
- Dog and Bone (Slang) – Phone.
- Let sleeping dogs lie (Idiom) – Don’t interfere with something that is not causing any problems.
- Puppy-dog eyes (Idiom) – Big, pleading eyes that are used to try to get someone to do something.
- Raining cats and dogs (Idiom) – Raining very heavily.
- Photo Vocabulary – Puppy
- Puppy Love (Slang) – Young love.
Frequently Asked Questions
“Man’s best friend” is a well-known phrase that refers to the dog. It doesn’t refer to an actual person — it celebrates the close, loyal bond between dogs and people.
No — “man” here means human beings in general. Dogs don’t care whether their owner is a man or a woman.
It’s a very old idea. The 18th-century philosopher Voltaire praised dogs as the most faithful of all animals and “the best friend man can have,” and similar sentiments go back even further, including in old stories like the Legend of Gelert.
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