Often used to describe someone who is concealing some mischievous act. Cats are natural hunters at night, using stealth and the dark to stalk their prey. Then youve let the cat out of the bag. But the phrase may be even older and related to the Greek word katadoupoi, which refers to waterfalls. Charlie Chaplin: If you were starving and you had no food, would you eat your shoe? Presumably referencing the fact that the ice is so thin that it would not even support the weight of a cat. 30. Youve come to the right place! Clam a dollar or a buck 6. 2023. Jalopy an old, run-down automobile; a clunker, 18. Accessed 18 Apr. A phrase used to describe a fashionable person. "The Cat's Meow Quotes." I can tell you have a secret its kitten all over your face! Answer: I have heard this phrase being used to describe a difficult task. 1. Question: Is this correct: Whos she, the cat's mother?". But others may use the term in a derogatory way to describe someone of shady character or repute. Bob Dylan. Answer: This has the meaning that a person is being spiteful, or deliberately hurtful in their words or actions. Cat pun names are the gifts that keep on giving. Question: What does the expression, "Which way grey-eyed cat would jump mean"? It means to beware of thin or dangerous ice. It would take a great deal of skill to catch a cat in such circumstances. When we consider how to help others avoid suffering and give them contentment, we, ourselves, are the first to benefit.". Elinor Glyn: After we all leave, the man in the box will disappear. Heres why. They therefore spend a great deal of their time cat- napping when they are in a state of light sleep. The sayings are: 1) the bats knee. Weve rounded up ten of the most common cat idioms and sayings to explain just that! Answer: This is not a phrase that I am familiar with. "The cat that got the cream," one of several common cat sayings in England, essentially means the same thing. Refers to a person who is the best at what they do. Theres More Than One Way to Skin a Cat, 10. Synonyms for Cat's Pajamas (other words and phrases for Cat's Pajamas). Have any other phrases from the 1920s? And thats the meaning of this idiomto be incredibly nervous. Keep calm and purr on. Also, when talking about someone who is very calm or slow to anger. For example: "I asked Simon to tidy his room again, but I have might as well of asked the cat, I might have had more chance of it being tidied.". Answer: It is common, as any cat owner will confirm, for cats to be sick or produce hairballs. Question: What does the phrase "singed cat" mean? Thomas Ince: Because you have the power to act uncivilized. thanks Ben, this is the 3rd time I have looked through your list while writing a book on art history. Origins: Yet again, this is an idiom where the exact origins remain unknown. Learn a new word every day. Leonardo DiCatrio. Mouthpiece a lawyer, especially a criminal lawyer, 21. Meaning: To be very upset or worried about something. 1980s: Herding and more swinging cowboys herding cats The phrase herding cats trying to control something unwieldy is from the mid-1980s. The expression is the opposite of "let the cat out of the bag" which is to reveal a secret or surprise by mistake. - It's raining cats and dogs - The dog, an attendant of the storm king Odin, was a symbol of wind. William Shakespaw. Read reviews from world's largest community for readers. Question: What is the meaning of the phrase: Sport to the cat is death to the mouse? Reminiscent of the 17th-century phrase not enough room to swing a cat is the more macabre cant swing a dead cat without hitting something there are too many of. Man in crowd: Stop pushing! It possibly originated from stories of witches whose cats would steal the tongue of their victims to prevent them from telling others. There was plenty of misinformation in the days following his death, much of it coming from the Hearst press machine. While the Cats Away, the Mice Will Play. (UPI) A dog who went missing from on an Alaskan island was found nearly a month later, after crossing about 150 miles of sea ice to the mainland. Then some friends arrive". Marion Davies: I'd have to boil it first. This expression refers to something overly complicated. Similes are used to enable us to compare things that are alike. I would just like to know where the saying "It's the cat's meow" came from, as my neighbour said it during a conversation we had last week. Answer: To call someone a "crazy cat" can mean that you find them or their behaviour outrageous and unconventional. "we are cat-sitting for a week. Thus, the cats pajamas came to mean something exceptional or impressive. Answer: I have heard this expression being used to describe a situation where a crying cat is believed to be an omen of something evil or unnatural. Claim your rewards from the Reader Perks section. I suspect that this expression is one that being newly developed and may well become embedded in our language alongside other idioms and phrases over time. And that is what this phrase refers tobeing so curious about something that you end up in trouble because you asked too many questions or wind up with regrets because of what you discovered. Would you eat it? - Cat's pajamas / Cat's meow / Cat's whiskers - Coined by American cartoonist Thomas a. Dorgan (1877-1929) whose work appears in many American newspapers. Meaning: This slang term became popular in America in the 1920s and was used to proclaim that something was excellent. Out of the wealth of idioms in the English language, youll find many that involve cats. Purrhaps. "Many inventors and engineers believed it could be done; photographs of 'rocket ships' of varying designs were broadcast and reputable magazines carried articles and drawings explaining just how the feat could be accomplished." Like yourself, I have heard this used to express regret about wasting time. Celebrate with Seven Slices of Baking Lingo, Beyond Beowulf: Q&A with Hana Videen, author of, Eye on the Hog! 18 Apr. (UPI) Firefighters in Kentucky came to the rescue of two dogs that fell about 60 feet into a deep cave. By the 1840s, there was also more than one way to skin them, which of course means theres more than one way to do something. I have never heard this phrase expressed in quite this way. One moose, two moose. They all relate in some way to the nervous or "jumpy" nature a cat displays when it is stressed or anxious. However there was no coverage in the press, no police action, and of the fourteen passengers on board only one was ever questioned by authorities. I was suprised at the number of these idioms too. Laura Hale Brockway is a writer and editor from Austin, Texas. Meowly Cyrus. Origin: This idiom likely comes from a time when merchants would sell piglets in bags at markets. Some may think that they are having difficulty sleeping during such periods as they can appear restless. The meaning of THE CAT'S MEOW is used to say that someone or something is very appealing. "Like a cat on a hot tin roof.". In those days, crime could be punished by the removal of a persons tongue (that was then fed to a cat). She has a strong love for all animals of all shapes and sizes (and particularly loves a good interspecies friendship) and wants to share her animal knowledge and other experts' know, 4. A collection of words turning 100 this decade. Our content and products are for informational purposes only. Fitzgerald did not in fact coin this expression (it had been in use for several years before his book was published), but the 1920s was a decade rich in words to describe the music of jazz. Youre probably familiar with some of these phrases (Cat got your tongue?), but have you ever wondered where these phrases came from and what they mean? 1 review. Web. The origins of this idiomatic saying remain unclear. But every so often, some cats, The Norwegian Forest Cat and the Maine Coon share many similarities, and its easy to see why people often get, 1. - Curiosity killed the cat - The saying originally was "care kills a cat," and began in the 16th century. David Michie, The Dalai Lama's Cat and the Power of Meow. From Listening to America: An Illustrated History of Words and Phrases from Our Lively and Splendid Past by Stuart Berg Flexner: "For 'great' (in the 20s) we have: the cat's pajamas, remarkable, first used around 1920 . H G Wells was apparently the first to use phrase atomic bomb; he did so in 1914, well before atoms were being split. However, what the connection is between the English county of Cheshire, grinning, and cats is unclear. In her free time, Misty enjoys chilling with her cats, playing piano, watching indie and foreign films, photographing abandoned places, and catching up on her never-ending TBR list. [out of voiceover, as Elinor on the deck] Come on everybody! As per the OED, cat's meow is from 1921 while cat's whiskers and cat's pajamas are from 1923 and 1925, respectively. Yet it's so much fun that none of us can stop. Question: My dad used to say "thanks will starve a cat." 2 likes. Cool. Meaning: The meaning of this one is fairly explanatory. Pet Keen is reader-supported. The origins of phrases and sayings; . - Cat got your tongue - The phrase probably comes from the rather brutal ancient Mideast custom of punishing a liar by forcibly removing tongue. Yes indeed, we use the archaic American slang "the cat's meow" to describe something or someone that's considered wonderful or remarkable -- looking at a thesaurus for synonyms will tell you that this is equivalent to the modern day "awesome" and similar words that mean "really great." It seems the first instance of it being used to describe someone was in 1911 in the Milwaukee Journal as a description of a political figure. 2022 Great Pet Media. "His thousands of admirers are happy to know that no anti-toxin has yet been discovered to cure this master jazzman of his 'illness!'" The seller usually kept the pig in a bag, so it would be easier for the buyer to take it home. Delivered to your inbox! Yet it's so much fun that none of us can stop. The phrase herding cats trying to control something unwieldy is from the mid-1980s. Meaning: People left unsupervised will do/act as they please. After all, it's fire that can hurt you, not ashes. Ben Reed (author) from Redcar on November 19, 2017: Thank you Kari. The other possible origin is the fact that cold turkey is a dish that is quick and easy to prepare. Meaning: This is one of the more commonly used idioms regarding felines (and is possibly the most popular one!). You might find something that disturbs you. Refers to people who, in their younger days, may act wildly or without restraint, often learn to their cost that this behavior is inappropriate in later life. "Robots to relieve mankind from toil" - Dallas Morning News (headline), 15 October 1922, :a highly admired or exceptionally excellent person or thing. I never realized just how many idioms about cats there are. Question: What is meant by the expression: "live as a cat"? To bell the cat, meaning to take on a perilous task on behalf of a group, may come from a late 14th century fable about mice belling a cat, says the Online Etymology Dictionary. We use idioms every day, often without even realizing it. 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