tail wagging the dog

First used in the 1858 play Our American Cousin. The shortened form wag the dog, with a political sense, was popularized by the film Wag the Dog (1997). For the verb phrase, see the tail wags the dog.

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tail wagging the dog

1. (idiomatic) A minor or secondary part of something which is controlling or dominating the whole or the main part.

• wag the dog

• put the cart before the horse