woori

In the context of the extract from TB’s political memoirs¸ what is meant by the proverbial dog with a bone?

 

Derry who used to be a Tony Blair’s pupil master gave a life changing influence on his apprentice.

The master impressed Tony Blair, teaching how to think and a sense of responsibility for own work which are essential elements as a lawyer. The anecdote with the master clearly shows Derry’s firm characteristics and attitudes towards work. When TB brought him the first draft, the master was very disappointed with insufficient work done and harshly criticized on his excuse for, denouncing “I don’t want your half thoughts, I want your best work that you personally will be responsible for”. To Tony Blair, these rigorous attitudes and strict principles to work made Derry look like a proverbial dog with a bone. In the memoir, he was describing Derry being faced with a legal problem: “He would gnaw at it, examine it, turn it over, bury it, dig it, step back and stare at it” Like a dog with a bone to conquer, Derry kept thinking and analyzing a problem until he completely understood the problem. Further, in order to avoid conventional analysis, he returned to the first principles for different perspectives on the problems. As a just pupil who had just passed exam, Tony Blair was impressed with Derry’s disciplinary manners on work and admired his genius. And it was enough to give the nick name “a proverbial dog” to Derry.