What is the origin of the phrase “barking up the wrong tree”?
Barking up the wrong tree means following a dead end path, pursuing an incorrect lead or assumption. Origin: When using dogs in a foxhunt, the dogs sometimes corner the fox in a tree. The dogs will proceed to bark up at the fox. Barking up the wrong tree, where there is no fox, is a pointless exercise. Reference Links: http://members.aol.com/MorelandC/HaveOriginsData.htm http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/56150.html http://www.usingenglish.com/…/…e-wrong-tree.
