"see a man about a dog" meaning in English

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en"
      },
      "expansion": "Unknown",
      "name": "unknown"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "hair of the dog"
      },
      "expansion": "hair of the dog",
      "name": "m"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Unknown. As a Prohibition-era reference to getting alcohol, influenced by the expression hair of the dog.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "sees a man about a dog",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "seeing a man about a dog",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "saw a man about a dog",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "seen a man about a dog",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "see<,,saw,seen> a man about a dog"
      },
      "expansion": "see a man about a dog (third-person singular simple present sees a man about a dog, present participle seeing a man about a dog, simple past saw a man about a dog, past participle seen a man about a dog)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "name": "Bodily functions",
          "parents": [
            "Body",
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with language name categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English euphemisms",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English predicates",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
          "parents": [
            "Terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "I'll be right back, but I've got to go to see a man about a dog.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Used in place of a real explanation when excusing oneself for a short period of time, particularly (euphemistic) to use the toilet or (historical) drink alcohol."
      ],
      "id": "en-see_a_man_about_a_dog-en-verb-JNFyVZUh",
      "links": [
        [
          "euphemistic",
          "Appendix:Glossary#euphemism"
        ],
        [
          "use the toilet",
          "use the toilet#English"
        ],
        [
          "historical",
          "Appendix:Glossary#historical"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, dated) Used in place of a real explanation when excusing oneself for a short period of time, particularly (euphemistic) to use the toilet or (historical) drink alcohol."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "sense": "all senses",
          "word": "a man"
        },
        {
          "sense": "all senses",
          "word": "a man about a horse"
        },
        {
          "sense": "use the toilet",
          "word": "a man about the plumbing"
        },
        {
          "word": "use the toilet"
        },
        {
          "word": "urinate"
        },
        {
          "word": "and Thesaurus:defecate"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "dated",
        "idiomatic"
      ],
      "wikipedia": [
        "see a man about a dog"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-see a man about a dog.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/f/f7/En-au-see_a_man_about_a_dog.ogg/En-au-see_a_man_about_a_dog.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/En-au-see_a_man_about_a_dog.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "see a man about a dog"
}

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en"
      },
      "expansion": "Unknown",
      "name": "unknown"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "hair of the dog"
      },
      "expansion": "hair of the dog",
      "name": "m"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Unknown. As a Prohibition-era reference to getting alcohol, influenced by the expression hair of the dog.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "sees a man about a dog",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "seeing a man about a dog",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "saw a man about a dog",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "seen a man about a dog",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "see<,,saw,seen> a man about a dog"
      },
      "expansion": "see a man about a dog (third-person singular simple present sees a man about a dog, present participle seeing a man about a dog, simple past saw a man about a dog, past participle seen a man about a dog)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "Bodily functions",
        "English dated terms",
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
        "English euphemisms",
        "English idioms",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English predicates",
        "English terms with audio links",
        "English terms with historical senses",
        "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
        "English terms with unknown etymologies",
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "English verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "I'll be right back, but I've got to go to see a man about a dog.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Used in place of a real explanation when excusing oneself for a short period of time, particularly (euphemistic) to use the toilet or (historical) drink alcohol."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "euphemistic",
          "Appendix:Glossary#euphemism"
        ],
        [
          "use the toilet",
          "use the toilet#English"
        ],
        [
          "historical",
          "Appendix:Glossary#historical"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, dated) Used in place of a real explanation when excusing oneself for a short period of time, particularly (euphemistic) to use the toilet or (historical) drink alcohol."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "dated",
        "idiomatic"
      ],
      "wikipedia": [
        "see a man about a dog"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-see a man about a dog.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/f/f7/En-au-see_a_man_about_a_dog.ogg/En-au-see_a_man_about_a_dog.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/En-au-see_a_man_about_a_dog.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "sense": "all senses",
      "word": "a man"
    },
    {
      "sense": "all senses",
      "word": "a man about a horse"
    },
    {
      "sense": "use the toilet",
      "word": "a man about the plumbing"
    },
    {
      "word": "use the toilet"
    },
    {
      "word": "urinate"
    },
    {
      "word": "and Thesaurus:defecate"
    }
  ],
  "word": "see a man about a dog"
}