What does the phrase 'barking up the wrong tree' imply? (2020)

What does the phrase 'barking up the wrong tree' imply? (2020)

Step 1: Understand the phrase 'barking up the wrong tree' is an idiom.
Step 2: Break down the meaning of the words: 'barking' refers to a dog making noise, and 'tree' refers to a place.
Step 3: Imagine a dog barking at a tree where it thinks its owner is, but the owner is actually somewhere else.
Step 4: Realize that the dog is mistaken; it is looking in the wrong place.
Step 5: Apply this idea to people: when someone is 'barking up the wrong tree', they are making a mistake in their actions or assumptions.
Step 6: Conclude that the phrase means to pursue a mistaken or misguided course of action.

No concepts available.