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What is the history behind the phrase 'barking up the wrong tree' and how did it become an idiom?

Marget Allender

The phrase 'barking up the wrong tree' means to accuse or pursue the wrong person or thing.

The origin of the phrase goes back to the days when hunting with dogs was a popular activity. When a raccoon or another animal would climb a tree to escape from the dogs, the dogs would bark at the base of that tree as if they had found their prey. However, the raccoon might actually be hiding in a different tree, and the hunters would be wasting their time and energy. So, in this situation, the dogs were 'barking up the wrong tree'.

Over time, people realized that this phrase could be used in other situations besides hunting. If someone accuses the wrong person of doing something, they are 'barking up the wrong tree' just like those dogs. This phrase became an idiom because it is an easy way to express a complex idea in just a few words.

So, the next time you hear someone say 'barking up the wrong tree', you'll know that it originally came from hunting with dogs and has now become a popular expression to describe someone who is accusing or pursuing the wrong person or thing.