"Has the cat got your tongue?"
Would you be surprised to hear that no one really knows?
There are suggested origins, such as the one from language maven Richard Lederer, who offered this explanation: "The anticipation of a beating by the cruel cat-o'-nine-tails, often shortened to the cat, could paralyze a victim into silence. That's why 'Has the cat got your tongue?' came to mean 'Are you unable to speak?'" (Mr. Lederer is the host of "A Way With Words," on KPBS, San Diego Public Radio.)
But Evan Morris, author of the Word Detective website, says “the most surprising thing about ‘cat got your tongue’ may be its relatively recent vintage. While it certainly sounds as if it must have been dreamt up back in the Middle Ages, the earliest written example listed in the Oxford English Dictionary is from 1911.”
We're speechless.
(sorry, bad pun)
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Sources: Grammarphobia and Jewish World Review
30 comments:
huh.....mom says she hates it when a cat gets her tongue - especially if their nails haven't been trimmed.
hahahahaha
Bawaahhaaw We just googled it, there are some awful explanations about the saying..BOL xx00xx
Mollie and Alfie
Luckily looks like Allie has her OWN tongue!
We don't know where the saying came from either, but it looks like you have a lovely long tongue Allie.
I was about to make a bad dog joke .......well a bad dog joke from the Middle Ages but the Peeps has got my tongue. Have a terrific Thursday.
Best wishes Molly
Thank you very much for the warm welcome on my blog! It is true, I really do have a PAWesome new home. I have stopped worrying about food all of the time already.
Mum says she knows how you got your lovely pink manicure, but I don't. I'm envious.
Purrs,
Styx
I have to admit as often as I've heard and said that one, I've never tried to find out the origins of the saying! Interesting....Thanks for getting my little grey cells active....... :D
Pam (and Sam)
I never could figure out that saying! After all, why would any of us kitties want to catch a human's icky tongue? Even Binga won't do that!
Mommy's pretty sure she won't be amused if a cat got HER tongue!
Wish my peeps were speechless more often. sighs
We have no idea, but it's clear that Allie's tongue makes a great washcloth! :)
I wish a cat would get W2's tongue.
; ) Katie
Our human heard it had something to do with the devil and possession by evil spirits during the Dark Ages, but that somebody made that up too! We think Allie's whiskers are pretty spectacular, even if they are white. (They are still trying to get accustomed to cats in other colors than solid black and tortie~the human.)
wow! I'm completely tongue tied!!! :)
can't "wrap my tongue around that Richard Lederer guy's name" ... ohhh we are making so many puns. But I do so love your trivia as expands our knowledge
MOL! Thanks! We're having fun with it too!
*snicker* one good pun deserves another!
FaRADaY: I tried this morning - really I did. *whispers* I BIT mommy onna CHIN! *chomp!*
Allie: *giggle!* oooh THANK you!
Allie: oooh Styx, you'd look smashing in a pawdicure!
Maxwell: yeah...only kittehs like Faraday would even try. *sigh* He's such a weird brofur.
FaRADaY: US too. Well, except Maxie. He's the only one who doesn't care if Mommy prattles on. Cuz he can't hear anyways! MOL!
Allie: hrm, perhaps something useful Faraday can do for a change...?
MOL, we love bad puns!
I guess we'll never know until the cat is let out of the bag! :p
the critters in the cottage xo
Great Tongue shots!!
Hmmm. Me has a tongue. Me is a cat. Me uses my tongue just like Allie....
Does all cats use their tongues?
Kisses
Nellie
heh, heh.
hmmm, that's one I'd never thought about before...how interesting...Gizmo left you a little something on his blog today:)
Great photo of Allie. She's grooming with such vim and vigor. (No, I don't know what vim is). Purrrrrrrrrrrrrrs.
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