A personification, attested from 1826.[1] Popularized byWinston Churchill, although it is not clear if he specifically referred to mental health.[2]
theblackdog
- (euphemistic)Depression,melancholy.
1967,Robert Bly, “Melancholia”, inThe Light Around the Body:A light seen suddenly in the storm, snow / Coming from all sides, like flakes / Of sleep, and myself / On the road to the dark barn, / Halfway there, ablack dog near me
1998, “Black Dog On My Shoulder”, inThis Is My Truth Tell Me Yours, performed byManic Street Preachers:There's ablack dog on my shoulder again / I'm playing with it but it's gone to my head
2014, “They Told Me It Rained”, inCarry On the Grudge, performed byJamie T:I can't breathe, feed theblack dog / Refuse to breathe, refuse to fuck
2018, Kate Atkinson,Transcription,→ISBN, page111:Apologies, Miss Armstrong, theblack dog has got me in its teeth.
2020, “Black Dog”, inAP1, performed byArlo Parks:I take a jump off the fire escape / To make theblack dog go away
- Used other than figuratively or idiomatically:seeblack,dog.
- ^Douglas Harper (2001–2025) “black”, inOnline Etymology Dictionary.
- ^Anita Singh (2018 October 6) “Churchill's 'black dog' is a myth and he never suffered depression, says leading historian”, inThe Telegraph[1]
