"throw to the dogs" + "for the asking"

Question

"He wouldn't have thrown us to the dogs just for the asking." Does it make sense to combine these two idioms or should "for the asking" be used for positive giveaway only? Thank you!

Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi,
They certainly don't seem to fit well together. In what context would you say this?

Best wishes, Clive

Xali · Answer

Thanks, Clive. I was basing my idiom combination on this dictionary definitions:

throw someone to the dogs

to allow someone to be criticized or attacked, often in order to protect yourself from being criticized or attacked. I really felt as if I'd been thrown to the dogs just to save other people's reputations.

for the asking
easily available. There are a lot of organizations that have scholarship money for the asking.

I wanted to express the betrayal of person A by person B for the benefit of person C, whose wishes conflict with A's interests. B has the power to grant C's wishes but owes loyalty to A. The betrayed person (A) would say: "B threw me to the dogs just for the asking." It doesn't seem to work.

Clive · Answer

Hi,

No, your sentence seems a bit contrived to me, ie a sentence that is too artificially put together.

( I usually hear 'throw someone to the wolves'. )

Clive

"throw to the dogs" + "for the asking"

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