cat in the pan

cat in the pan

obsolete A traitor. The phrase is thought to refer to the cooking of a "cate" (an archaic word for a delicacy, such as a cake), which would be turned from one side to the other in a pan. Is Benedict Arnold our country's most famous cat in the pan? That lying, two-faced cat in the pan sold us out! The gang was determined to find the cat in the pan who told the police about their illegal activities.

See also: cat, pan

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.