black dog

A personification, attested from 1826.[1] Popularized by Winston Churchill, although it is not clear if he specifically referred to mental health.[2]

the black dog

1. (euphemistic) depression, melancholy
   • 1967, Robert Bly, “Melancholia”, in The Light Around the Body:

     A light seen suddenly in the storm, snow / Coming from all sides, like flakes / Of sleep, and myself / On the road to the dark barn, / Halfway there, a black dog near me

   • 1998, “Black Dog On My Shoulder”, in This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours, performed by Manic Street Preachers:

     There's a black dog on my shoulder again / I'm playing with it but it's gone to my head

   • 2014, “They Told Me It Rained”, in Carry On the Grudge, performed by Jamie T:

     I can't breathe, feed the black dog / Refuse to breathe, refuse to fuck

   • 2018, Kate Atkinson, Transcription, →ISBN, page 111:

     Apologies, Miss Armstrong, the black dog has got me in its teeth.

   • 2020, “Black Dog”, in AP1, performed by Arlo Parks:

     I take a jump off the fire escape / To make the black dog go away

2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see black,‎ dog.

• black dog syndrome

• goldback