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Every husband worth his salt knows what it means to be in the doghouse. These days, when a husband or lover gets on the wrong side of his spouse of girlfriend, he is given the cold shoulder and he is “banished” out of the home into the doghouse. Not literally, but you get the idea.

Strangely enough, the expression has its origins in the slave trade between Africa and the New World. The business was a dirty and inhumane one. There was a lot of money to be made by those engaging in the trade, but they worried about their captives breaking loose and wreaking vengeance on their captors. Thus, while on board the slave ships, the sailors and traders slept on deck, keeping a close watch at the hatches that sealed their captives in. Sleeping under the stars was fine so long as the weather cooperated. Thus, small structures had to be put up to protect the jailors / sailors. These small cubicles suggested DOGHOUSES, because of their diminutive size. Even higher ranking officers found themselves sleeping under these doghouses, leading to the present day meaning of the expression.