 & 
|
Re: Has the cat got your tongue?Posted by Michael sheridan on May 31, 2000 In Reply to: Has the cat got your tongue? posted by ESC on May 27, 2000 : : Still looking for its origin. : "HAS THE CAT GOT YOUR TONGUE? Why don't you speak? Your silence is suspicious. The saying originated in the mid-nineteenth century and was used when addressing a child who refused to answer a parent's questions after some mischief. Often shortened to `cat got your tongue?'." From "Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings" by Gregory Y. Titelman (Random House, New York, 1996). : It's also used to address a shy child. I think its origin lies in the way of outdoor cats dragging little captives, chipmunks and such, into the house. Thank You!! ESC, you have most of my answers, I admire you.
|