Idiom
Enough to cobble dogs with
Meaning
A large surplus of something; too much of anything.
Origin
An English idiom, more popular in the North such as Lincolnshire. In the past, streets were made of cobblestones, and there was often an excess of cobblestones, leftover once the street was completely built. The phrase suggests that even after the roads were built – ‘cobbled’ – there were enough stones remaining for other purposes, even for things that didn’t need cobbling, such as dogs.
Another possible meaning is that a cobbler uses leather to make shoes for people who have two feet. Therefore, if a cobbler has enough leather to make shoes for a dog, which has four feet, there is a surplus of leather.
An English idiom, more popular in the North such as Lincolnshire. In the past, streets were made of cobblestones, and there was often an excess of cobblestones, leftover once the street was completely built. The phrase suggests that even after the roads were built – ‘cobbled’ – there were enough stones remaining for other purposes, even for things that didn’t need cobbling, such as dogs.Another possible meaning is that a cobbler uses leather to make shoes for people who have two feet. Therefore, if a cobbler has enough leather to make shoes for a dog, which has four feet, there is a surplus of leather.
Examples
I really hope they don’t bring any more wine to our dinner party. We have enough to cobble dogs with.
The Pringles are on sale in Tesco, so I decided to stock up. I’ve bought enough to cobble a dog with.
“I’m looking for a suitable idiom to use in my essay.” “Have you checked the Bloomsbury International website? There are enough over there to cobble dogs with!”
