mad dogs and Englishmen

noun

To express that it is very hot weather.

“Only mad dogs and Englishmen would go out in this heat!”

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Meanings

nounmad dogs and Englishmen pl (plural only)
  1. pluralplural onlyTo express that it is very hot weather.

    Only mad dogs and Englishmen would go out in this heat!

Origin

From the verse/song by Noel Coward: "Mad dogs and Englishmen / Go out in the midday sun."

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

mad dogs and Englishmen. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mad%20dogs%20and%20Englishmen

MLA

“mad dogs and Englishmen.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mad%20dogs%20and%20Englishmen. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “mad dogs and Englishmen,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mad%20dogs%20and%20Englishmen.

Source: mad dogs and Englishmen on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.