dog-eat-dog

The phrase "dog-eat-dog" is a vivid metaphorical expression that entered English in the 19th century. It is a shortened form of the Latin proverb "canis caninam non est" ("a dog does not eat dog's flesh"), which implies a basic level of restraint even among rivals. The English inversion of this idea to "dog-eat-dog" thus powerfully signifies a complete breakdown of natural or social order, where survival instincts override all communal bonds. It encapsulates the logic of ruthless, predatory competition, projecting the imagery of animals turning on their own kind onto human social and economic struggles. The phrase's persistence highlights its effectiveness in describing the perceived savagery of unregulated capitalism and intense rivalry.

This is a fixed compound phrase. The individual components are 'dog', 'eat', and 'dog', but the phrase functions as a single, unsegmentable lexical unit. 'Dog' is from Old English docga, of unknown origin. 'Eat' is from Old English etan, from Proto-Germanic etaną, from Proto-Indo-European h₁ed- ("to eat").