look what the cat('s) dragged in
A mild and usually playful insult used to announce someone's arrival and suggest that the person has a messy or otherwise disheveled physical appearance. When Jennifer came in soaking wet from the rain, Candice laughed and said, "Look what the cat dragged in!" Hey, everybody, look what the cat's dragged in. How's retirement treating you, Joe?
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
look what the cat's dragged in
INFORMALYou can say look what the cat's dragged in when someone arrives to express your dislike or disapproval of them, or as a light-hearted way of greeting them. In strolls Babs. `Now look what the cat's dragged in,' says Jeanie, with a nod.
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012