Cat Got Your Tongue – Meaning, Origin & Usage
Many awkward situations have been marked with the question ‘Cat got your tongue?’ But it’s not a phrase you hear everyday, so don’t feel alone if you haven’t heard it before.
In his article today, we’re going to cover exactly what this saying means, where the phrase originates from, and you’ll get lots of examples on how and when to use the phrase. For good measure, we’ll also throw in some alternative phrases that you can use in its place. This can come in handy if you’re conversing with people who are unfamiliar with the term.
And without further ado, let’s get down to it.
What is the meaning of the phrase ‘Cat got your tongue?’
The phrase (and idiom) ‘Cat got your tongue?’ is something you’d say when someone is quiet or silent when you want them to respond to you. The phrase is typically used when one person is in the wrong and someone else is asking why something has occurred, waiting for an explanation that doesn’t come right away.
It’s basically a way of asking someone why they are being so quiet when some kind of response is expected of them. It’s also a way of saying that the person you’re speaking with has been caught red-handed and is guilty of something.
What is the origin of the phrase ‘Cat got your tongue?’
The phrase (and idiom) ‘Cat got your tongue?’, previously ‘Has the cat got your tongue?’ is derived from the old British military in the 17th century. Back then, the navy was incredibly strict and anyone caught in wrong doings or misbehaving or being disobedient would be dealt with by corporal punishment. Or in other words, they would be whipped or flogged.
These floggings were usually executed by the boatswain’s mate and witnessed by the entire crew. The offender was tied to the ship’s rail and whipped with nine knotted cords, known as a cat o’ nine tails, and often referred to simply as the ‘cat’. This whip had nine ends, with a knot on each end, and it got its name from the wounds it left on a man’s back that looked like cat scratches. It inflicted incredible pain, and when sailors were flogged, the pain was often so severe that it rendered the victim speechless, hence the victim being mocked with the phrase ‘Has the cat got your tongue’, which was later truncated to ‘Cat got your tongue?’
Today, the phrase is rarely used in the same way, due to the end of physical punishment. That said however, it is often said when someone is in the wrong and has been caught out. When someone is confronted with their own wrong doing, they can feel put on the spot and may need to gather their thoughts before they can offer an acceptable explanation, and this is when the phrase would be used.
How and when can you use the phrase ‘Cat got your tongue?’
You can use the phrase ‘cat got your tongue’ when the person you’re speaking with has gone quiet or even silent following an accusation. People often go quiet or silent when they have been found guilty of something.
While the phrase does have a cruel origin, these days the phrase can be considered more light-hearted. The idiom is often preceded with the words ‘What’s wrong’ or ‘What’s the matter’, e.g. ‘What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?’.
What are some other ways of saying ‘Cat got your tongue?’
If perhaps you’re talking with someone who doesn’t know many English idioms such as ‘Cat got your tongue’, then you could always use an alternative phrase instead. Here are some examples of alternative phrases that you could consider using:
- Have you got nothing to say for yourself?
- Have we stunned you into silence?
- Speak up. Do you even have an excuse?
- What do you have to say for yourself?
- What’s your explanation for this?
- Your silence is deafening.
- Playing dumb will get you nowhere.
- What’s wrong with you? Answer me.
- Speak, damn you! I’m owed an explanation.
Final word
So to sum up, the phrase ‘Cat got your tongue?’ is used when someone has become quiet or silent when a response is required from them. The phrase, which is also an idiom, does have cruel origins from the use of a cat ‘o nine tails whip, but these days the phrase is used in a much more light-hearted way.
The phrase is typically used when the quiet person has been caught in wrongdoing and has been stunned into silence with an accusation. If you’re conversing with someone who is unfamiliar with English idioms, there are several other phrases that you can use in it’s place, as covered earlier.