Cat Got Your Tongue Idiom Meaning

Has the cat got your tongue is a light-hearted question addressed to someone who is inexplicably silent. According to Eric Partridge this term dates from the mid-nineteenth century in both England and the United States and was one of several phrases used in addressing a child who after getting into trouble refused to answer questions.

Cat Got Your Tongue Means Have You Nothing To Say Example Hi How Are English Vocabulary Words English Words Learn English Words

This idiom is often accompanied by Whats the matter at the beginning of it.

. New Video 10 Idiom Examples with Reworded Sentences httpsyoutube6n3G5vXQ00A Meaning and Origin of English idiom Cat Got Your Tongue with examples of. Today it is used more generally to ask anyone to speak. However it is unclear exactly how it developed.

Something you say to someone when you are annoyed because they will not speak. 2022 Farlex Inc all rights reserved. The illustrated magazine Bayous Monthly Volume 53 wrote Has the cat got your tongue as the children say.

A cat got your tongue. Cat got your tongue Meaning. Definition of cat got your tongue.

Has the cat got your tongue. However the presumed origin of the phrase go farther back than the 1800s and it had nothing to do with children but rather the. Why arent you speaking.

This idiom is used when someone say a father reprimands a child or some other person when they suspect that some mischief has been done. Cat got ones tongue cat got ones tongue A comment made when someone is unaccountably or unusually quiet as in We havent heard from you all morninghas the cat got your tongue. Cat Got Your Tongue Meaning of Idiom Cat Got Your or ones Tongue This is usually expressed as a question to someone who is being unusually quiet or refusing to speak as in Has the cat got your tongue 1 Ammer Christine.

Why are you silent. Thus the saying has the cat got your. On English sailing ships anyone entrusted with a secret by a higher officer would be threatened with the cat for telling.

According to Eric Partridge this term dates from the mid-nineteenth century in both England and the United States and was one of several phrases used in addressing a child who after getting into trouble refused to answer questions. Explore Urdupoint to find out more popular. The origin of the idiom cat got your tongue is an intriguing one.

Why are you tongue-tied Suppose a small child is sent on an errand with some money and the. Whats the meaning of the phrase Cat got your tongue. Roughly it means why are you silent.

The meaning and origin of Cat got your tongue. Some have suggested that ancient kings would punish those who displeased them by cutting out their tongues and feeding them to their pet cats. It is one of the most commonly used expressions in English writings.

Meaning he cant talk hes preoccupied with cunnilingus. Cat got your tongue. Why arent you saying anything.

When someone is speechless or without words sometimes out of surprise you will say Cat got your tongue to prompt them to react. A _____ is not attached to an edge of the Word window. Often put as a question this term originally was used mainly with a child who did something wrong and refused to answer any questions.

A comment made when someone is unaccountably or unusually quiet as in We havent heard from you all morning-has the cat got your tongue. The literal meaning is quite far-fetched so it obviously comes from the grown-ups invention of some. Cat Got Your Tongue Meaning.

This expression is usually addressed as a question. An expression that is used when someone is quiet and isnt talking or responding when you expect them to. Cat cats got your tongue.

The longer form would be Has the cat got your tongue but its probably more common just to say Cat got your tongue This is something you say to someone who is being very quiet who is. This expression originated in the 1800s. Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

Origin of Cat Got Your Tongue. This grisly idea persists in the theory that the phrase came from a time of witch-hunting. Has the cat got your tongue Chances are youve heard this expression when youve been stumped for something to say.

Cat got your tongue B. Tell us about the trip. Cat got your tongue has the Why are you silent.

Meaning of Cat Got Your Tongue. Answer 1 of 12. Often put as a question this term originally was used mainly with a child who did something wrong and refused to answer any questions.

Its usually when the speaker has the upper hand in the conversation and you are at a loss for words. It isnt clear exactly where this idiom originated but its obvious that it would be difficult to speak if a cat did get your tongue. Cat Got Your Tongue stands for Why arent you speaking.

Have you ever wondered where the. Im just not feeling well thats all See also. Was used by the Jewish.

Used to ask someone why he or she is not saying anything Youve been unusually quiet tonight she said. The origins of the phrase are not totally clear but the first written usage occurred in 1881. That is it displays in the middle of the Word window and can be moved anywhere in the window.

Cat got your tongue So this is kind of an old phrase but you can still use it today. Cat got your tongue has the. Cat Got Your Tongue is an idiom.

It suggests that a person cant talk because a cat is holding his or her tongue and preventing speech. Although many believe the cat in question is of the feline variety its actually the cat o nine tails a whip commonly used to flog sailors who misbehaved.

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