 and it was originally called bear abetting in the 14th century in England, where a hungry bear would be tethered to a pole in a pit and set upon by trained bulldogs. The dogs would bite the bear until it was killed, and often in doing so, they'd suffer casualties or be very tired, and the owner would urge the dog to continue to keep the spectacle going. So it was said that he was abetting the dog to keep biting, and the phrase was coined in the 18th century to mean what it does today.