until the last dog dies. Until the bitter end.
William Safire calls this an “Ozark expression.” He cites a speech given by then-Governor Bill Clinton on February 15, 1992 . Clinton promised that the citizens of Arkansas would see him “working hard, reaching out to them and fighting 'until the last dog dies.'” Safire connects this with a comparable phrase from an unnamed 1902 novel, “'til the last dog is hung.” |
1. Safire, William. 2001. Clintonyms. New York Times Magazine, Dec 2, 2001, 48, 50.
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