Catopedia: Cat proverbs and sayings Quiz

Answer: mice

This saying goes back to the 17th century at least. In a play written by Thomas Heywood, circa 1590, ("Woman killed with Kindness") there is a line, "Mum; there's an old prouerbe, when the cat's away, the mouse may play."

Answer: wonderful prose

This saying rings so true to cat lovers. It's apparently a French proverb. Sadly I have yet to have a Frenchman recall it. However I only know one (and he is on holidays).

Answer: miseries of life

Wish I'd said that, but it was the late Dr. Albert Schweitzer - an amazing man and a concert organist of international standing in his younger days. Throw in a Nobel Peace prize (1952), a bit of a medical practice and perchance a love for cats, and you have an all-round good chap.

Answer: pigeons

This seems to have originated in the U.K. I have read that during the 19th century British soldiers in India would put a cat in a cage of pigeons and gamble on the result of the 'fight'.

Answer: intelligent species

As far as I can ascertain this is an anonymous saying, but surely of recent vintage given the text. I'd say at least post Roswell (1947). As to the inference, well just look at the ancient Egyptians. Treated pussy as a God!

Answer: curiosity

The first known printed reference that conveys the intent of this saying is in O. Henry's short story 'Schools and Schools' from 1909. Half way through chapter 3 is a paragraph commencing "Curiosity can do more things than kill a cat; and if emotions, well recognised as feminine, are inimical to feline life etc."

Answer: tongue?

One possible origin of this saying is that it refers to the cat of nine tails, the whip used as a punishment tool in sailing ship days. If the captain told someone a secret the receiver of the gossip would 'get the cat' if he was to tell others. Naturally if the others wanted to know what had been said they would ask, "tell us, or are you afraid", morphing into "has the cat got your tongue?".

Answer: pyjamas

I like the suggestion that the source of this is that in the 1800s a tailor named Katz of London began making fine silk pyjamas for royalty and the gentry. "Katz" changed into "Cats" over time and so the phrase "the cat's pyjamas," came to mean something posh or upmarket.

In modern times it is often regarded as a sarcastic remark, suggesting the person is acting or dressing above their station. Sometimes the phrase is "the cat's whiskers" or "the cat's meow".

Answer: last ingredient

This is attributed to Stephen Baker, an author whose works include that wonderful tome "How to live with a neurotic cat owner".

Answer: mouse

The analogy of a cat toying with a helpless mouse has been around for centuries, but the saying seems to date only from the early 1900s. (Dictionary.com suggests 1910-1915.)