Barking Up the Wrong TreeHow a clever raccoon trick gave us a phrase for failure

From the show

History of Phrases

In 19th-century America, night hunters relied entirely on their dogs to track prey in the dark. But raccoons had a specific escape tactic: climbing one tree and silently jumping to another to break the scent trail. This maneuver left the dog howling at an empty branch while the prey escaped. We explore the mechanics of the hunt and how a confused hound became the symbol for anyone pursuing a false lead.