the cat that ate the canary
the cat that ate the canary
Someone who is smugly pleased or self-satisfied. After her promotion, Janet spent the rest of the day looking like the cat that ate the canary. Look at those kids with their ice creams—the cats that ate the canaries!
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
the cat that ate the canary
Happy, often in a selfsatisfied way. Someone who was very pleased—and often smug—was compared to a house cat that figured out a way to liberate a pet bird from its cage and enjoy the aftermath.
Endangered Phrases by Steven D. Price Copyright © 2011 by Steven D. Price
References in periodicals archive
They feel like
the cat that ate the canary, sitting quietly in the corner hoping no one will notice.
A modest fellow, BP downplays the coup but a glint in the eye reminds one of
the cat that ate the canary. Other BMWers privately admit to being astonished at their good fortune.
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