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[cartrina]

Hii.everyone!

Here is a ,maybe a saying:"Give a dog a bad name and hang it."I can't remember its meaning clearly,dose any one know its meaning and explain its origin?Thanks!!!!

[Casiopea]

Give a dog a bad name and hang him The principle is that a person's plight is hopeless once his reputation has been blackened. Similar to he that has an ill name is half hanged .

1706 J. Stevens Spanish & English Dict .
s.v. Perro, We say, Give a Dog an ill name and his work is done.

1721 J. Kelly Scottish Proverbs 124
Give a Dog an ill Name, and he'll soon be hanged. Spoken of those who raise an ill Name on a Man on purpose to prevent his Advancement.

1803 Norfolk (Virginia) Herald 14 Apr. 3

SOURCE: Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs
It is an old saying, ...

[Casiopea]

EX: "HER EXCELLENT QUALITIES AND HER ALLEGED DULLNESS."

The proverb "Give a dog a bad name and hang him" - apply an unfavourable or disparaging adjective (i.e, dullness) to a person and people straightway accept it as true, seeking no corroboration, and making no independent investigation.

SOURCE: Henrietta Countess of Oxford