What does the phrase "it's the dog's nuts" mean?

Question

I think it might be British, I'm American. It's in a chemistry clip I want to show my high school students.

Answer 1

Yes, it's a British expression that means something is great, fantastic, awesome, "da bomb", the cat's pajamas, etc., ad nauseam...

To most Americans, this would mean nothing; to some of us it might mean that you've been spending too much time with your dog...

Answer 2

Having been both ground infantry and Air Wing during my 20 in the Corps the remark about must be air wing is a little assine since simple fact is that the complaints are mainly from the infantry side Pendleton and Lejuene. It is a two sided problem in that some think of dog as being bad "you get dogged out" "she's a dog" but the main problem is some the religious right nuts think the term Devil is bad and the US being God's country and we are on God's mission in Iraq so referring to us as Devil's makes it sound disrespectful. I fought for Corps and Country and what ever God, gods, if any I worship is and was no one's business I didn't fight for any religion or faith so I really think the term is a good one, is traditional. and has historical significance so it should stay. It appears what the politically correct extreme left isn't trying to change the extreme religious right is. The term is an mark or respect and should be taught as such-thankfully they don't know some of the things USMC I heard it meant in Vietnam..Uncle Sam's Misbegotten Children being one of nice ones.

Answer 3

The original British term is "the dog's bollocks" meaning the same s the dog's nuts. It is used to mean something really good or outstanding. It's origin is probably in marketing in the 1950's when things were sold in "box, deluxe" or "box standard". When slightly miss-pronounced we get dog's bollocks and bog standard.

On the other hand, when something is bollocks, then it is rubbish or nonsense.

Answer 4

It may have started or originated in ENgland....but somewhere along the line it has transfered to America and been here for a while.

It's a street slang deragatory way of saying something is great or awesome. It may have started innocently enough, but here in America all the "cool kids" relate everything to sex or sexually explicit phrases. Hell, even in theater we have a few ways to remember directions for certains tech things and they are always sexually explicit. Everyone always remembers to place a washer next to the nut of a bolt set by saying aloud Always wash your nuts or pull the ropes the right direction in the flyrail by saying things like in through the front door and out by the backdoor.

Everything comes down to sex, but I am digressing. I wouldn't worry about the phrase unless you are involved in a strict environment for educators. It'll be fun for the kids to watch this thing and they'll get a good laugh out of it.

Answer 5

The phrase is Dogs Bollocks, that means brilliant,great etc, the opposite when it is crap or someone is a low life is Dogs Ar*e or a*s to you.

Answer 6

I like Stuart H's etymology but as far as I know, "the dog's bollocks" is an imaginative alternative to "the bee's knees", which may derive from "the business".

'The cat's whiskers' means the same.

Answer 7

we say "its the dogs bollocks" when something is clearly good.

Answer 8

I wouldn't say that in schools here! LOL