I don’t have a dog in this race
Posted: March 17, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Bill Simmons, don't have a dog in this hunt, don't have a horse in this race, expressions, humor, language, malaphor, malaphors, words 4 CommentsThis nice, subtle malaphor was heard on Bill Simmons’ sports podcast. Simmons was talking with another NFL commentator about how every off season different teams/franchises make terrible decisions related to overpaying quarterbacks in free agency (such as Case Keenum, Sam Bradford, Kirk Cousins signing w/the Broncos, Cardinals, Vikings respectively this week). He’s a Patriots fan, so he concluded by saying he doesn’t “have a dog in this race” (doesn’t care about any of these teams or quarterbacks personally), but just thinks it’s maddening to see teams making the same mistakes year after year. This is a congruent conflation of “don’t have a dog in the hunt” and “don’t have a horse in this race”, both meaning to not have a vested interest in something. The speaker might be a fan of dog races, hence the mix up. In any event, this is a classic malaphor. Many thanks to Justin Taylor for hearing this one and passing it on.
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Malaphors 
At dog shows, we use the term “I don’t have a dog in this race” all the time!!
Hi Dave,
I think we’ve passed into the next level of sophistication regarding malaphors. Meaning this one feels like familiarity has produced a new expression; and in fact, dogs do race so I think “I don’t have a dog in this race” stands as its own.
Big push recently attempting to re-engage in life and address the brain atrophy with some oxygen. Don’t panic, but at some point I’m going to ask you how I’m doing.
Yikes! Robyn
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It was used in Grey’s anatomy by Dr. Riggs, it seems like it’s a traditional idiom in New Zealand.
You may be right, but various grammar sites seem to agree with me that it is a conflation. See, e.g., https://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2018/02/dog-horse-race.html Not sure about New Zealand, but if you say so. By the way, I love New Zealand – absolute favorite place I have ever visited on this glorious planet! Dave