cat
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cat
1. noun, old-fashioned A spiteful, gossipy woman. Oh, don't listen to a thing Mrs. Studebaker says. That crazy old cat just likes to put her nose into other people's business and cause trouble. Mother seems to be getting a reputation in town as another old cat, peddling in nonsense. I never thought Helen would say such awful things about me, but I guess she's become quite a cat in her old age.
2. noun, dated slang A man. A: "You ever hear of Tom Michelson?" B: "The cat who runs the Double Dice bar over on Santa Monica? Yeah, I've heard of him." Who's the cat playing sax with them tonight? I have to say, he's pretty good! Do you know that mysterious-looking cat in the sunglasses? Think he could be a talent scout?
3. verb, dated slang To pursue promiscuous sexual intercourse or activity; to look for sexual partners. She started to suspect that her husband was out catting around while she was at home looking after the kids. No, I don't cat around anymore—I gave that up when I got married. I never had any desire to cat around—I just prefer monogamy.
4. verb, dated slang To retch or vomit. Primarily heard in UK. Something I ate must not have agreed with my stomach, because I started catting everything up about an hour later. The smell of the substance is enough to make you cat. You'll never make it as a doctor if you cat at the sight of blood! You need a much stronger stomach than that.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
cat
1. n. a fellow; a guy; a dude. Now, this cat wants to borrow some money from me. What should I do?
2. in. to empty one’s stomach; to vomit. Looks like somebody catted in the bushes.
3. n. a gossipy woman. Mary can be such a cat, you know.
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
- (as) black as a stack of black cats
- (as) busy as a cat on a hot tin roof
- (as) conceited as a barber's cat
- (as) nervous as a cat
- (as) nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs
- (Has the) cat got your tongue?
- (well,) dog my cats
- a bag of cats
- a cat can look at a king
- a cat has nine lives
- a cat in gloves catches no mice
- a cat may look at a king
- a cat on a hot tin roof
- a dead cat bounce
- a dead cat on the line
- a face like a cat's arse
- a fat cat
- a kick at the cat
- all cats are gray after dark
- all cats are gray after dark/at night
- all cats are gray at night
- all cats are gray by night
- all cats are gray in the dark
- all cats are grey in the dark
- alley cat
- as much chance as a wax cat in hell
- be (as) nervous as a cat
- be a bag of cats
- be a cat's-paw
- be grinning like a Cheshire cat
- be like a cat on a hot tin roof
- be like a cat on hot bricks
- be like herding cats
- be made a cat's-paw
- be the cat's meow
- be the cat's whiskers
- bell the cat
- bell the cat, who will
- black as a skillet
- busy as a beaver
- cat
- cat and mouse
- cat and mouse, game of/to play
- cat around
- cat burglar
- cat can look at a king
- cat got one's tongue
- cat got your tongue, has the
- Cat got your tongue?
- cat has nine lives
- cat ice
- cat in gloves catches no mice
- cat in the meal-tub
- cat in the pan
- cat in the sack
- cat on a hot tin roof
- cat on a hot tin roof, like a
- cat piss
- cat that swallowed the canary, (look) like the
- cat-and-dog life
- cat-and-mouse game
- catcall
- catnap
- cats and dogs
- cat's claw
- cat's cradle
- cat's pajamas
- cat's paw
- cat's paw, (be made) a
- cat-soup
- cat's-paw
- Cheshire cat
- conceited as a barber's cat
- cool cat
- copycat
- curiosity killed the cat
- dead cat bounce
- dead cat on the line
- don't make yourself a mouse, or the cat will eat you
- emotional support dog/cat/etc.
- enough to make a cat laugh
- faster than a cat lapping chain lightning
- fat cat
- fat-cat
- feel as if a cat has kittened in (one's) mouth
- fight like cat and dog
- fight like Kilkenny cats
- fix
- fraidy cat
- game of cat and mouse
- get catcalled
- grin like a Cheshire cat
- has the cat got your tongue?
- have other cats to whip
- herd cats
- higher than a cat's back
- it's raining cats and dogs
- It's raining pitchforks
- jerk the cat
- keep no more cats than can catch mice
- lead a cat and dog life
- let the cat out of the bag
- let the cat out of the bag, to
- like a cat in a strange garret
- like a cat on a hot tin roof
- like a cat on hot bricks
- like a scalded cat
- like herding cats
- like something the cat brought in
- like something the cat brought/dragged in
- like something the cat dragged in
- like the cat that got the cream
- like the cat that got, stole, etc. the cream
- like the cat that stole the cream
- like the cat that's got the cream
- live under the cat's foot
- Look at what the cat dragged in!
- look like something the cat brought in
- look like something the cat dragged in
- look like the cat dragged in
- look like the cat that ate the canary
- look like the cat that swallowed the canary
- Look what the cat dragged in!
- look what the cat('s) dragged in
- look what the cat's dragged in
- mad enough to kick a cat
- more than one way to skin a cat
- more than one way to skin a cat, there's
- no room to swing a cat
- not a cat in hell's chance
- not enough room to swing a cat
- not have a cat in hell's chance
- not have room to swing a cat
- other cats to whip
- pace around hot porridge like a cat
- painted cat
- play cat and mouse
- play cat and mouse with
- purr like a cat
- put (an animal) down
- put (one) out of (something or some place)
- put down (an animal)
- put the cat among the pigeons
- put the cat amongst the pigeons
- put/set the cat among the pigeons
- rain cats and dogs
- rain dogs and cats
- raining cats and dogs, it's
- scaredy-cat
- scruff
- see which way the cat jumps
- set the cat among the pigeons
- she's the cat's mother
- shoot the cat
- sling out
- sling the cat
- smile like a Cheshire cat
- smiling like a Cheshire cat
- take a catnap
- that cat won't jump
- the cat has got someone's tongue
- the cat is out of the bag
- the cat that ate the canary
- the cat that swallowed the canary
- the cat would eat fish, but would not wet her feet
- the cat's got (one's) tongue
- the cat's meow
- the cat's mother
- the cat's pajamas
- the cat's whiskers
- the cat's whiskers/pyjamas
- there are many ways to skin a cat
- there's more than one way to kill a cat
- there's more than one way to skin a cat
- throw the cat among the pigeons
- tomcat
- top cat
- turn the cat in the pan
- walk back the cat
- walk the cat back
- want to know the ins-and-outs of a cat's arse
- wanton kittens make sober cats
- weak as a kitten
- well, dog my cats
- when the cat's away
- when the cat's away (the mice will play)
- when the cat's away the mice will play
- when the cat's away, the mice will play
- whip the cat
- who will bell the cat
- Who's she, the cat's mother?
- who's she—the cat's mother?
- you can't swing a dead cat without hitting (someone or something)
- you couldn't swing a cat in here/there