Re: Has the cat got your tongue?

Posted by Michael sheridan on June 01, 2000

In Reply to: Re: Has the cat got your tongue? posted by ESC on May 31, 2000

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: : : : 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.

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: : Thank You!! ESC, you have most of my answers, I admire you.

: You're welcome. It's a hobby that's become an obsession.

For me it's an obsession that is becoming a hobby!!

• Re: Has the cat got your tongue? Tony Bibby 06/27/00