- Meaning
- This idiom means to make a mistake by targeting the wrong person, thing, or approach, often due to a misunderstanding or misjudgment. It suggests pursuing a futile or incorrect course of action, typically used in contexts of blame, accusations, or misguided efforts.
- Origin
- The phrase comes from 19th-century American hunting, where dogs would bark at the base of a tree, mistakenly thinking their prey (like a raccoon) was there when it had escaped. The earliest known use is in James Kirke Paulding’s 1832 *Westward Ho!*: ‘You’re barking up the wrong tree.’ Popularized in frontier literature and newspapers, it reflected rural life and became a staple in American English, later spreading to British usage.
- Variants
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- Barking up the wrong tree
- Bark up the wrong tree
- Examples
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- If you think I stole your phone, you’re barking up the wrong tree—I wasn’t even here.
- She’s barking up the wrong tree by asking him for a loan; he’s broke too.
- The police were barking up the wrong tree, suspecting the wrong person for the crime.
- You’re barking up the wrong tree if you expect her to change her mind—she’s stubborn.
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