Origin of Phrases - B
Barking Up The Wrong Tree
Meaning: Following a dead end path, pursuing an incorrect lead or assumption.
Example: If you think those gloves will convict OJ, you are barking up the wrong tree.
Origin: When using dogs in a foxhunt, the dogs sometimes corner the fox in a tree. The dogs will proceed to bark up at the fox. Barking up the wrong tree, where there is no fox, is a pointless exercise.
Originating in the 1830s, hunting dogs in the United States were often fooled when chasing after small animals like raccoons. The small creatures would climb up one tree, then jump to another...leaving the hound to mislead his master into thinking they were in the right place.