Cat Idioms in English: Meanings and Examples

Cats aren’t just stealthy hunters of mice; they’ve also crept their way into the English language through many common expressions. Animal imagery, as in many languages, plays an important role in English idioms, and cats are among the most commonly used. These expressions carry meanings beyond their literal sense.

In this article, we will look at some of the best English idiomatic expressions involving cats in depth, using examples to demonstrate their use.

Let the cat out of the bag

This expression is used when a secret is revealed, often by mistake. Its origins may lie in the late Middle Ages, when dishonest merchants would pretend there was a piglet in a bag, when in fact there was a much less valuable cat. Thus, later the secret would be revealed when the cat was quite literally let out of the bag.

Examples:

1.        Tom: “Mum’s buying us a new T.V. this weekend.”
Sally: “Way to let the cat out of the bag, Tom! She didn’t want everyone to know yet.”

2.        “I didn’t mean to let the cat out of the bag, but I told him by accident.”

For example:

1.        “I was planning a surprise party for my best friend, but unfortunately the cat’s out of the bag now! I think one of her friends told her.”

Curiosity killed the cat

Sometimes it’s best not to be overly curious, and that is exactly what this expression seeks to convey. While being curious is usually regarded as a positive thing, sometimes in certain situations too much curiosity can be dangerous or lead to problems. A very old proverb with many iterations, Curiosity killed the cat is often used to warn someone that they are asking too many questions about something or digging too deeply into something.

For example, perhaps you see an interesting link in an email, and you click on it even though it looks suspicious due to pure curiosity, and you end up getting a virus on your computer. Your friend could say, “curiosity killed the cat”, to comment that too much curiosity in this situation led to negative consequences.

Other examples:

1.        Alex: “Alice opened the box containing the presents even though her mum told him not to. Not only did she kill the surprise, but also her mum grounded her.”
Jess: “Curiosity killed the cat, I suppose.”

2.        Imogen: “Why are you and Kathy meeting up on Saturday? This is the third time you’ve both met up in the past few weeks!”
Matt: “Curiosity killed the cat! If I told you, you wouldn’t like the answer.”

In the first example, Jess is commenting on how too much curiosity led to consequences for Alice. In the second, Matt is warning about asking too many questions; perhaps they are sorting out something unpleasant.

Like the cat that got the cream

This one is fairly self-explanatory – simply put, it’s used when someone is looking really pleased about a recent success or some good fortune. You may find it useful in situations where someone is sporting a huge grin or is looking particularly smug, e.g., if you are playing a board game and one player is thrashing the others, you could say, “they look like the cat that got the cream”.

Other examples:

1.       “You can tell he’s got the promotion; he’s like the cat that got the cream.”

2.       Amy: “Why is Jake looking so pleased? “
Liam: “A really nice girl asked him out last night at the bar. He looks like the cat that got the cream.”

Look what the cat dragged in

A phrase used to refer to the arrival of someone who is messy/scruffy and perhaps late or unwelcome, reflecting the poor condition of prey brought home by cats. It is often used in a sarcastic or humorous way. For example, if you are meeting a friend and they arrive completely soaked through by the rain, you could say, “look what the cat dragged in”, to comment on their appearance in a funny way. Another example:

1.       Theo: “Look what the cat dragged in!”
Abby: “Sorry I’m late guys. I’ve had a really long day.”

Cat got your tongue?

The origins of this expression may be connected to old myths that witches’ cats could steal your speech. It is also possible to say, “has the cat got your tongue?”, although it is more commonly expressed in the shortened form: “cat got your tongue?”. It is used when someone is being unusually quiet. You may use it to ask someone why they aren’t saying anything or perhaps why they aren’t answering a question. Some examples:

1.       Teacher: “Who knows the answer the second question? Alex, I’m sure you know the answer. Cat got your tongue?”

2.       “I know it was you who stole the money. What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?”

In the first example, it is used by the teacher in a light-hearted way to point out how quiet the student is being. In the second, the phrase is being used to point out that they have caught the person in a lie and that their silence is a sign of guilt.

Are you aware of any other interesting expressions using cats or do you have any questions about the above examples? Let us know: aandhenglish@gmail.com