Cats are the most popular pets among Americans. So it is not surprising that there are many
expressions about cats. Some cats like to catch small birds, like canaries. If someone
looks very proud or satisfied with himself, we say he looks like the cat that ate the
canary. Sometimes, a cat likes to play with a small
animal it catches. So if you play cat and mouse with someone,you
change between different kinds of behavior when dealing with another person. For example,
a child might offer something sweet to her little brother and then take it away when
he reaches for it. A cat will often catch a small animal and
present it to its owner. The saying that looks like something the cat dragged in describes
something in bad condition. Two old and funny expressions describe something
that is the best or finest. Americans might say that something is the cat's meow and the
cat's pajamas. Children might call a child who is easily
frightened a fraidy cat or a scaredy cat. A copycat is someone who acts just like
someone else or copies another person's work. A fat cat is a person with a lot of money.
You may have known that cats spend most of their time sleeping. Sometimes people sleep
for a short time during the day. This is called a cat nap.
If you tell about something that was supposed to be a secret, we say you let the cat out
of the bag. If you are not able to speak or answer a question someone might ask if the
cat has got your tongue. Have you ever watched children in a classroom
when their teacher leaves for a few minutes? When the cat's away, the mice will play means
people sometimes misbehave when there is no supervision.
You may have heard this expression: curiosity killed the cat.This means being too concerned
about things that are not your business might cause problems.
If your home is very small, you might say there is not enough room to swing a cat. But you
probably should not try this at home! If you ever had cats as pets, you know it
is difficult to train them or to get them to do something. Cats are not like sheep
or cows that can be moved in a group. So we say a difficult or impossible job is like
herding cats.