The phrase comes from one of [[Aesop]]'s fables about a dog lying in a [[manger]] full of hay. When an [[ox]] tries to eat some hay, the dog bites him, despite the fact that the hay is of no use to the dog. | The phrase comes from one of [[Aesop]]'s fables about a dog lying in a [[manger]] full of hay. When an [[ox]] tries to eat some hay, the dog bites him, despite the fact that the hay is of no use to the dog. |