🐈 15+ Popular Cat Idioms in English
Cats have silently crept into our hearts—and our language! Whether they’re curling up on our laps or stalking prey with stealth, cats have long been symbols of mystery, mischief, and moodiness. Unsurprisingly, the English language is purring with cat idioms used in daily conversations.
In this post, we’ll explore 15+ common cat idioms in English, their meanings and examples—perfect for English learners and idiom lovers alike.
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| Cat Idioms |
🧠 Why Learn Cat Idioms?
Idioms give language its flavour. Learning animal idioms like these can:
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Boost your vocabulary
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Help you understand native speakers better
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Add colour to your writing and speaking
✨ Related: 20 Animal Idioms in English
🐾 1. Let the cat out of the bag
Meaning: To reveal a secret unintentionally
Example: Chiya let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party.
🔍 The idiom dates back to the Middle Ages, when market vendors were rumoured to deceive buyers by selling a piglet in a sack but actually placing a cat inside. If someone opened the bag early, they’d “let the cat out”—exposing the trick.
🐾 2. Curiosity killed the cat
Meaning: Being too inquisitive can lead to trouble
Example: Don’t open that email attachment—curiosity killed the cat!
📚 Use this when someone is being too nosy or overly interested in something that doesn't concern them.
🐾 3. Cat got your tongue?
Meaning: Why are you so quiet?
Example: “You’ve been quiet ever since the teacher asked about the missing homework. What’s wrong—cat got your tongue?”
👀 This idiom is usually used when someone suddenly stops talking, especially if they’re expected to say something. It’s often directed toward children, shy people, or someone who has been caught off guard.
📖 Cambridge Dictionary – Has the cat got your tongue?
🐾 4. Fight like cats and dogs
Meaning: To argue or fight fiercely
Example: My siblings fight like cats and dogs over the TV remote.
🐶 Works well in informal conversations.
🐾 5. Not enough room to swing a cat
Meaning: A very small or cramped space
Example: This apartment is so tiny—there’s not enough room to swing a cat!
📦 This idiom is often used to describe tight spaces—like small rooms, cars, or apartments—where moving freely is difficult.
🐾 6. Look what the cat dragged in
Meaning: A humorous way to greet someone who looks messy or arrives unexpectedly
Example: Well, look what the cat dragged in! You’re late again.
😹 Often used playfully, not literally.
🐾 7. A copycat
Meaning: Someone who imitates another person’s actions, style, work, or behaviour—often without originality
Example: Stop being a copycat and think of your own ideas.
🧒 Commonly used in casual speech, especially among children or in competitive contexts (like branding or creative work).
🎓 Also read: Dog Idioms
🐾 8. Like a cat on a hot tin roof
Meaning: Very nervous or restless
Example: He was pacing like a cat on a hot tin roof before the interview.
🔥 Use to describe anxiety or discomfort.
🐾 9. Catnap
Meaning: A short sleep or nap
Example: I took a quick catnap before my evening class.
⏱️ Great for talking about power naps!
🐾 10. There's more than one way to skin a cat
Meaning: There’s more than one way to achieve the same goal or solve a problem
Example: If this plan doesn’t work, we’ll try another—there’s more than one way to skin a cat.
📝 Fun Fact: The phrase doesn’t literally refer to cats. In older times, "cat" could refer to a catfish or other creatures, and the expression emphasised the variety of methods available to complete a task, not animal cruelty.
📖 Collins Dictionary – There's more than one way to skin a cat
🐾 11. Like the cat that got the cream
Meaning: Looking very satisfied with oneself
Example: He walked in like the cat that got the cream after getting the promotion.
😏 Used to describe smug satisfaction.
🐾 12. Cat around
Meaning: To engage in promiscuous or flirtatious behaviour (informal)
Example: He’s known to cat around on weekends.
⚠️ Use carefully—it’s slang and somewhat cheeky.
🐾 13. When the cat's away, the mice will play
Meaning: People will misbehave when authority is not around
Example: As soon as the manager went on vacation, the employees started coming in late. You know what they say—when the cat’s away, the mice will play.
🎉 This idiom comes from the idea that when a cat (a predator or authority figure) is not around, mice (subordinates or those under control) feel safe to come out and play, symbolizing rule-breaking or taking liberties in someone’s absence.
🐾 14. Scaredy-cat
Meaning: Someone who is easily frightened
Example: Don’t be a scaredy-cat—just go up and talk to her!
👻 Very common in children’s language.
🎓 Also read: Colour Idioms
🐾 15. Grin like a Cheshire cat
Meaning: Smile broadly in a mysterious or smug way
Example: She was grinning like a Cheshire cat after reading the results.
😺 This idiom comes from Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”, where the Cheshire Cat famously disappears slowly, leaving only its wide grin behind. Over time, this whimsical image came to describe someone with a big, mysterious, or sly smile.
🐱 Bonus Idioms
🐾 A cat-and-mouse game
Meaning: A chase or strategic struggle between two parties
Example: The police and the hacker were locked in a cat-and-mouse game.
🐾 The cat’s whiskers
Meaning: Something or someone considered the best
Example: He thinks he’s the cat’s whiskers after winning that trophy.
🛠️ How to Use Cat Idioms in Everyday English
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Practice them in short conversations
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Include them in stories or informal emails
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Use idiom flashcards to revise weekly
🎓 Also read: Horse Idioms
📌 Final Thoughts
Cat idioms are a fun and expressive part of English. Whether you're feeling smug like the cat that got the cream or hiding a secret like a cat in the shadows, using idioms helps you sound more fluent and native-like.
So, the next time someone asks you, “Why are you smiling like that?”, you can simply say— “I’m grinning like a Cheshire cat.”
💬 Now It’s Your Turn!
Have you heard or used any of these cat idioms before?
Which one is your favourite? Drop a comment below or share this article with a fellow English learner!
