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One particularly humid August night, fresh off a 14-hour flight, I was crawling homeward on the freeway, dog-tired to the point of delirium, and my phone rang.

He was dog-tired, and his weary body ached from five bumpy hours on horseback.

I could not but acquiesce, for I was “dog-tired,” and could not have sat up had I tried.

After working like a dog we are dog-tired.

I’ve watched volunteers helping people learn English explicate idioms: “dog-tired,” “cloud nine,” “kick my butt.”