Uses (and Misuses) of the Word “Poodle”

Black Poodle Laying in the Grass

We all love our poodles, knowing them to be among the smartest and noblest of dog breeds. The world at large, however, has sometimes used the word “poodle’ in facetious and unflattering ways. How many instances do you recognize below?

The Poodle Skirt

The original poodle skirt was simple: a circle cut out of felt to form a waist. Appliqués could be added to reflect the wearer’s interests and hobbies. The skirt originated in 1947 in the United States, created by Juli Lynne Charlot, a musical performer from the 1940s. She initially designed the skirt with three dachshunds, but the version with an appliquéd poodle is the one that became best known.

The skirt proved most popular with teenage girls. In 1952, entire mail-order catalogs were dedicated to poodle skirts. 

In just a week after the debut of her creation, Charlot was able to sell the design. As the popularity of her skirt began to grow, she eventually opened her own factory.

On the one hand, the notion of a skirt sporting a bold poodle figure may seem quaint and outdated. On the other, what a great tribute to our handsome and beautiful pooches!

Wherever one stands on this fashion question, however, the word “poodle” has also been used in less benign ways.

Poodleish and Poodledom

To be someone’s “pet poodle” is a derogatory expression for a lackey or stooge. In French, the term is être la caniche de quelq’un (caniche is French for poodle). Though bred, we know, for hunting and retrieving, they were also, as long ago as the 18th century, miniaturized to be cuddly lap dogs, principally for women. In this context, to be a poodle is to be a purse puppy, especially one that has been manicured, pedicured and coiffed.

By the late 19th century, terms like “poodleish” and “poodledom” emerged to describe men who were henpecked and reduced to servitude. These gave rise to the expression “poodlefaker,” one who insincerely seeks to ingratiate himself with women.

More recently, we’ve encountered the expression, “attack poodles,” an oxymoron that denotes fawning media personalities or other public figures who subserviently assail targets identified by their bosses.

George Bush’s Poodle

During the 2003 run-up to the invasion of Iraq, British Prime Minister Tony Blair became the target of poodle-related calumny. Blair strongly supported American President George W. Bush’s intention to go to war, and he was mercilessly criticized by many for seeming to fall in line too quickly behind Bush’s military intentions. The derogatory sobriquet “Bush’s poodle” haunted Blair for the rest of his political career.

Banned from the Floor of the Israeli Knesset

Predating Bush’s poodle was Israeli leader Shimon Peres’s. In 1990, Peres’s political ally Yossi Beilin was labeled poodleish by Yitzhak Rabin. Rabin was enraged by efforts from Peres and Beilin to replace the Likud government. Not satisfied to label Beilin “Peres’s poodle,” Rabin called Peres’s tactics “the stinking maneuver,” another phrase that has remained in the Israeli political vocabulary.

Since these usages, poodles seem to have run wild through Israeli politics. By 2001, the Knesset Committee on Ethics had included “poodle” in a list of words and phrases banned from debates on the Knesset floor. Some of the other forbidden words included “idiot,” “anti-Semite,” “fly’s egg,” “pig,” leech,” and “mentally defective.” In comparison with some of these, “poodle” seems pretty mild.

Beautiful White Poodle Sitting in the Front Seat

Let’s Rehabilitate “Poodle”

Politicians wanting to insult each other have plenty of animal-based slurs at their disposal. “Leech and “fly’s egg” from the Israeli list are a good starting point. Rat, snake, weasel, worm and horse’s behind also come to mind.

If justice is served, someday to be called someone’s poodle will denote intelligence, helpfulness and companionability. It will be a term of praise to be savored rather than an affront to be resented.

“You’re calling me a poodle? Thanks for the compliment. And I’m glad you like the skirt.”