dog my cats intj Also dog my hide (or skin, time), doggone (or dog on) my cat(s) [Cf dog v 6] chiefly Sth, S Midl euphem
Used as an expression of surprise, amazement, annoyance, etc; see quots.
1853 Hammett Stray Yankee in TX 18 TX, Dog on my cat! ef thar hain’t been bar about, ye can take my hat! 1871 Hay Pike Co. Ballads 22 cwIL, Now dog my cats ef I kin see / . . What you’ve got to do with the question / Ef Tim shill go or stay. [1883 (1971) Harris Nights with Remus 9, cnGA, Brer Fox he say ter hisse’f dat he be dog his cats ef he don’t slorate [=destroy, get the better of] ole Brer Rabbit ef it take ’im a mont’.] 1884 Twain Huck. Finn 9 MO, Say—who is you? Whar is you? Dog my cats ef I didn’ hear sumf’n. 1890 DN 1.67 KY, Dog-gone my cats. 1899 Harte Poet. Wks. 184 CA, Dog my skin, ef thar was one in eight. 1905 DN 3.77 nwAR, Dog my cats. 1908 DN 3.305 eAL, wGA, Dog(-gone) my cats. 1919 Kyne Capt. Scraggs 210 CA, McGuffey, your argument does you a heap of credit. It’s—it’s—dog my cats, McGuffey, it’s masterly. 1922 DN 5.183 GA, Dog my cats. 1928 McKay Home to Harlem 24 NYC [Black], Dog mah cats! You done tasted the real life a’ready? 1941 Stuart Men of Mts. 27 neKY, Dog my hide if it ain’t old Dusty Boone. 1941 Sat. Eve. Post 13 Sept 49 SC, “Well, dog my time!” he cried in glee. 1951 PADS 15.69 nLA, Dog my cats. 1954 Hall Coll. cwTN, Dog my cats.