(as) weak as a kitten

Especially weak, feeble, and vulnerable; completely unable to defend oneself. The heart attack left me bedridden and weak as a kitten for nearly a month. Tom's always been as weak as a kitten, so we don't bother trying to roughhouse with him at all. Be careful—muggers around here prey on people they perceive to be weak as kittens.

dust bunny

A cluster of dust and dirt. It is typically associated with things that have not been recently cleaned or used. When was the last time you swept in here? There are massive dust bunnies behind the couch! Ever since the accident, Jamie's poor, neglected guitar has been just sitting in the corner, collecting dust bunnies. Get the feather duster, because Grandma is gonna have a fit if she sees those dust bunnies on the TV stand!

dust kitten

A cluster of dust and dirt. It is typically associated with things that have not been recently cleaned or used. When was last time you swept in here? There are massive dust kittens behind the couch! Ever since the accident, Jamie's poor, neglected guitar has been just sitting in the corner, collecting dust kittens. Get the feather duster, because Grandma is gonna have a fit if she sees those dust kittens on the TV stand!

feel as if a cat has kittened in (one's) mouth

To feel very hungover (with an awful taste in one's mouth). A: "You don't look so good. How are you feeling after your night of partying?" B: "Ugh, I feel as if a cat has kittened in my mouth." A long night of drinking will leave you feeling as if a cat has kittened in your mouth. A: "You turned 21 yesterday? Well, you must feel as if a cat has kittened in your mouth today." B: "Yep, sure do. Ugh."

have a fit

To become very or unreasonably angry or upset; to have an outburst of rage, frustration, or ill temper. My mom's going to have a fit when she sees what happened to the car! I was so embarrassed when Danny started having a fit in the grocery store. There's no need to have a fit about this, Eleanor—we'll figure something out.

See also: fit, have

have kittens

To be very upset, anxious, or uneasy. My parents will have kittens if I'm not home by curfew. Carrie's been having kittens waiting for her doctor to call with the test results. I hope Roy gets his exam grades back soon, because he's had kittens about it all week.

See also: have, kitten

purr like a cat

1. Of an engine, motor, or other piece of machinery, to run very smoothly and efficiently (often signified by a smooth, rich humming noise, not unlike that of a cat's purr). Once get this carburetor repaired, this old car is going to purr like a cat again. I just replaced the motherboard on my PC and installed a bunch of new RAM—now it's purring like a cat.

2. Of person, to sigh, hum, or moan with contentment or pleasure. The kids purred like cats as they ate their ice cream cones. I know a few tricks that will have your partner purring like a cat.

purr like a kitten

1. Of an engine, motor, or other piece of machinery, to run very smoothly and efficiently (often signified by a smooth, rich humming noise, not unlike that of a cat's purr). Once get this carburetor repaired, this old car is going to purr like a kitten again. I just replaced the motherboard on my PC and installed a bunch of new RAM—now it's purring like a kitten.

2. Of person, to sigh, hum, or moan with contentment or pleasure. The kids purred like kittens as they ate their ice cream cones. I know a few tricks that will have your partner purring like a kitten.

sex kitten

A physically and sexually attractive young woman. With some new clothes and makeup, I bet she would be quite a sex kitten.

the (whole) kit and caboodle

All the parts of a group of things. I had a collection I'd been putting together for nearly 25 years, and burglars stole the whole kit and caboodle. John has some awesome camping gear, and he let us borrow the whole kit and caboodle for the weekend.

wanton kittens make sober cats

proverb One who behaves wildly in youth often shows more restraint in adulthood. I wouldn't worry too much about your son's interest in partying—wanton kittens make sober cats most of the time.

dust bunny

and a dust kitten; a turkey's nest

Kg. a clump of dust and lint. She swept the dust bunnies out from under the bed. There's a huge dust kitten behind the chiffarobe. He hasn't cleaned in weeks. There are turkey's nests in every corner.

have a fit

and throw a fit

to be very angry; to show great anger. The teacher had a fit when the dog ran through the classroom. John threw a fit when he found his car had been damaged.

See also: fit, have

have kittens

to get extremely upset. My mother pretty near had kittens when she found out I got fired. Calm down. Don't have kittens.

See also: have, kitten

purr like a cat

and purr like a kitten

1. Fig. [for an engine] to run well and smoothly. My car really purred after I got it tuned up. New sparkplugs and this old heap will really purr like a cat.

2. Fig. [for a person] to be very pleased, and perhaps moan or purr with pleasure. She was so pleased that she purred like a cat. Sarah really purrs like a kitten when she is happy.

*weak as a baby

and *weak as a kitten

Cliché [of someone] physically very weak.(Also: as ~.) Six weeks of illness left the athlete as weak as a baby. John is as weak as a kitten because he doesn't eat well.

have a fit

Also, have fits or a conniption fit ; take or throw a fit ; have kittens. Become extremely upset. For example, She'll have a fit when she sees Anne wearing the same dress, or Mom had a conniption fit when she heard about the broken mirror, or Don't take a fit-the car's not really damaged, or Jill was having kittens over the spoiled cake. One can also give someone a fit or fits , as in His dithering about punctuation is enough to give me fits. Fit and fits, along with conniption fit, have been used in hyperbolic expressions to denote a bout of hysterics since the 1830s; throw a fit was first recorded in 1906, and have a fit in 1924; have kittens, alluding to being so upset as to bear kittens, also dates from about 1900.

See also: fit, have

weak as a kitten

Feeble and fragile, as in After that bout with flu she was weak as a kitten. This simile has largely replaced weak as a cat, from the early 1800s.

have a fit

throw a fit

COMMON If someone has a fit or throws a fit, they become very angry and upset. Note: In the first two idioms here, `fit' means healthy and full of energy. Mum will have a fit when he hears about this. She threw a fit when she found me in the dressing room.

See also: fit, have

have kittens

mainly BRITISH, INFORMAL

If someone has kittens, they become extremely worried or upset by something. The boss will have kittens if I don't get back within an hour. The Government was having kittens over the treaty. Note: In the Middle Ages it was said that if a pregnant woman was having stomach pains she had kittens clawing inside her womb.

See also: have, kitten

have kittens

be extremely nervous or upset. British informal

See also: have, kitten

have ˈkittens

(British English, informal) be nervous and anxious, especially when you are waiting for news of something: Your poor mother’s having kittens. She hasn’t heard anything from Simon for three weeks.

See also: have, kitten

have kittens

1. tv. to become enraged. When I heard the news, I had kittens. I was hacked!

2. tv. to laugh very hard; to enjoy something enormously. It was so funny, I had kittens laughing.

3. tv. to be surprised. She had kittens when she heard about the wedding.

See also: have, kitten

purr (like a cat)

in. [for an engine] to run well and smoothly. New spark plugs and this old heap will really purr like a cat.

sex kitten

n. a woman with enormous sexual potential. He thought he was getting a sex kitten, but she turned out to be just a plain cat.

weak as a kitten

Feeble, defenseless. This proverbial simile goes one better than weak as a cat, dating from the early nineteenth century. Erle Stanley Gardner had “He felt as weak as a kitten” in The Case of the Drowsy Mosquito (1943). Other variations are O. Henry’s weak as a vegetarian cat (Cupid à la Carte, 1907) and weak as a newborn kitten.