shaggy-dog

adjective

shag·gy-dog ˌsha-gē-ˈdȯg

: of, relating to, or being a long-drawn-out circumstantial story concerning an inconsequential happening that impresses the teller as humorous or interesting but the hearer as boring and pointless

also : of, relating to, or being a similar humorous story whose humor lies in the pointlessness or irrelevance of the plot or punch line

a shaggy-dog comedy

Did you know?

The origin of the adjective shaggy-dog isn't truly known, but lexicographer Eric Partridge rather believably tells us that it originated with a shaggy-dog story of the amusing sort that involves—of course!—a shaggy dog. Today, the word sometimes refers to a rambling story that impresses the teller as humorous or interesting but the hearer as boring and pointless, but it can also refer to a similar story (or movie or TV show) that is actually humorous and whose humor lies in its very pointlessness or irrelevance.

Examples of shaggy-dog in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Big Sky developed a shaggy-dog reputation among Western resorts, grittier and harder to get to than Aspen or Vail, with extreme terrain that matched or surpassed its posh Colorado cousins. —

Nick Bowlin, Harper's Magazine, 30 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shaggy-dog.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.