two men and a dog

Definitions

1. Synonym of one man and his dog (“almost nobody; very few people”).
2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see two, men, dog.

Examples

“By present-day standards, of course, these count⟳ as just two men and a dog, but were a remarkable concentration for the day, certainly far beyond anything to be found in the private sector. In actual numbers the staff had not much changed since the amalgamation of 1850, but there had been a significant accretion in skills. And the improvement was to continue⟳, both in numbers and quality.”

“But Jay wouldn't let⟳ him help⟳ out, even when the business was just two men and a dog to begin⟳ with.”

CEFR level