dog food
(DAWG food)
v.
To use a product, particularly a software program, that was created by you or your company. Also: dog-food, dogfood.
Example Citation:
For instance, in the hallowed halls of software companies you'll hear the term "dog-food" used as a verb. The phrase "to eat our own dog-food" is well established to mean that software developers should actually use the products they develop. Hence, Microsoft would dog-food their e-mail software before making it public. Or not.
—Jay Bailey, "Packing it all in," The Jerusalem Post, June 11, 1999
Earliest Citation:
Microsofties made famous the expression 'eat our own dog food,' in reference to using the company's software for its own internal projects. Apparently, softies at other companies have picked up the phrase, but shortened it to a verb, as in 'We need to dog food that product.'
—John Soat, "IT Confidential," InformationWeek, January 18, 1999
