English

Noun

Prairie dogs

prairie dog ‎(plural prairie dogs)

1. Any of genus Cynomys, small, stout-bodied burrowing rodents with shallow cheek pouches, native to North America and Central America.

Hyponyms

• (Cynomys): Gunnison's prairie dog (Cynomys gunnisoni), white-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys leucurus), black-tailed prairie dog, (Cynomys ludovicianus), Mexican prairie dog (Cynomys mexicanus), Utah prairie dog (Cynomys parvidens)

Translations

Etymology 2

By analogy with how the animal pops its head up from its burrow.

Alternative forms

• prairie-dog

Verb

prairie dog ‎(third-person singular simple present prairie dogs, present participle prairie dogging, simple past and past participle prairie dogged)

1. (intransitive, transitive) To pop up from a hole or similar in a manner that resembles the way a prairie dog pops his head up from his burrow.

   Veronica in accounting is always prairie dogging from her desk whenever that new hunk from marketing walks by.

2. (slang, euphemistic) To struggle to hold back an involuntary bowel movement.
   • 2001, Andy Breckman, Rat Race

     [Kimberly needs to go to the bathroom] Dad, I'm prairie dogging it! What the **** does that mean? You know, like when a prairie dog sticks his head in and out of the ground.

   • 2008, Clautrier, Adrien; Rowe, Henry; Mack, Lindsay, Dirty French: Everyday Slang from "What's Up?" to "F*%# Off!", Berkeley: Ulysses Press, ISBN 978-1569756584, LCCN 2007907739, page 54:

     I'm about to crap my pants.
     Je vais me faire au froc.
     I'm prairie-dogging it.
     J'ai le cigare au bout des lèvres.
     Literally, “the cigar is at the edge of my lips”

   • 2009, Baker, Brian J., Yuck! ...That Guy Didn't Wash His Hands!: The Complete Guide to the American Man's Bathroom Experience, American Bathroom Experience, ISBN 978-0578019314, page 150:

     […] Postin' Up On the Blaster / Power Dump / Prairie-Dogging it / Press a Loaf Purp […]

   • 2011, Rivera, David, Jr., Harlem's Dragon: The Love You Can't Fight, Largo: Strebo Books, ISBN 978-1593090562, page 162:

     “Oh, God stop, stop,” Kat said, holding her side, “I'm starting to prairie dog.” […] “You know, prairie dogging,” Kat said, trying to explain between breaths. “When it pokes its head out of the hole and then back in, out and in, out and in.”

   • 2011, Various, David Mack, James Robinson, Ty Templeton, Alan Moore, Jeph Loeb, Kurt Busiek, Vampirella Masters Series 4: The Lost Tales

     ...They are gonna get a mouthful and a pantful. Crappin their shorts all the way into next week... Yeah those little bastards will be prairie dogging it all the way home!

     Oh ****, I'm gonna **** my pants, man — pull over! I am prairie dogging!

Translations

See also

• crown (see: medical definition)