dog shot

See also: dog-shot

English

Alternative forms

• dog-shot (verb)

Etymology

Probably related to the slang term dog (“coward”). Compare cheap shot (“deliberate, unsportsmanlike, and potentially illegal act of aggression”).

Noun

dog shot (plural dog shots)

1. (Australia, New Zealand, slang) A sudden blow, especially when delivered without warning; a king hit; (rugby) a deliberate and potentially illegal late tackle.
   • 2019 June 7, Christian Nicolussi, “Friday night fights as Sam Burgess accused of 'dog shot' by Pearce”, in The Sydney Morning Herald‎^[1]:

     Sam Burgess was sensationally accused of a "dog shot" by Mitchell Pearce as the South Sydney and Newcastle top-four clash erupted into the Friday night fights.

   • 2020 July 7, Matt Logue, “NRL 2020: Emotional Joey Leilua to bounce back from ‘dog shot’”, in The Daily Telegraph‎^[2]:

     Leilua will spend four weeks on the sideline after his late high tackle on Penrith fullback Dylan Edwards that has been widely hailed a “dog shot”.

Verb

dog shot (third-person singular simple present dog shots, present participle dog shotting, simple past and past participle dog shotted or dog shot)

1. (transitive, intransitive, Australia, New Zealand, slang) To deliver a dog shot to (someone); to hit (someone) suddenly and without warning; to king hit.
   • 2016 November 6, Eliza Wheeler, “NIGHTCLUB BRAWL: Staff say drugs were to blame”, in Fraser Coast Chronicle‎^[3]:

     "There were four separate spot-fights going on, [another staff member] got dog-shotted and then another security guard from the Criterion came over to help us too."

   • 2018 June 1, “NRL greats unite to slam 'dog shot' tackles on playmakers”, in The Guardian‎^[4]:

     “Players don’t deserve to be dog shot in the back when they’re not looking,” Johns said.

   • 2019 June 7, Christian Nicolussi, “Friday night fights as Sam Burgess accused of 'dog shot' by Pearce”, in The Sydney Morning Herald‎^[5]:

     All four players were sent to the sin-bin before an angry Pearce was overhead telling referee Grant Atkins: "Sam Burgess has come in and dog-shotted from behind when nobody was looking. Our blokes are only trying to break it up. One of them [Burgess brothers] has to be sent off. If it's a headbutt they have to go, sir."

Further reading

• “Oxford Word of the Month: October: dog shot”, in Oxford Word of the Month, Oxford University Press Australia & New Zealand, 2019 October

Anagrams

• hot dogs, hot-dogs, hotdogs