wag the dog means: Arouse a persuasive movement within a large group of influence (i.e., an entire population) through methods that are less powerful. The expression “It’s his tail that wags him” is derived from the saying, You can see this when your dog starts to wag its tail and then it follows with its body. (in Slang Dictionary, added by Iyana Mullen)
What else does wag the dog mean?
- Incorrectly taking on the primary role of something secondary in importance. This expression is not related to the film of the same title. (in Slang Dictionary, added by Maeve Murillo)
