be the cat's whiskers

To be highly enjoyable, desirable, or impressive, especially in a fancy or elaborate way. Tom's new Cadillac is really the cat's whiskers! Boy, that singer last night was the cat's whiskers, wasn't she? Have you ever tried the pistachio gelato at this place? It's the cat's whiskers!

See also: whisker

be within a whisker of (something)

To be very close to getting, achieving, or experiencing something. She was within a whisker of the gold medal, but her leg cramped in the last few meters. Hundreds of people were within a whisker of death when their apartment building caught on fire in the middle of the night. They were within a whisker of defeat when the quarterback threw a Hail Mary for a last-second touchdown.

by a hair

By an extremely short or slim margin (of distance, time, or another measure). They're just about to close the gates! It looks like we made the flight by a hair. The race was neck and neck till the very end, but Sally won it by a hair. Hundreds of people avoided death by a hair when their apartment building caught on fire in the middle of the night.

by a hair's breadth

By an extremely short distance or slim margin of time. They're just about to close the gates! It looks like we made the flight by a hair's breadth. The race was neck and neck till the very end, but Sally won it by a hair's breadth. Hundreds of people avoided death by a hair's breadth when their apartment building caught on fire in the middle of the night.

by a whisker

By an extremely short or slim margin (of distance, time, or another measure). They're just about to close the gates! It looks like we made the flight by a whisker. The race was neck and neck till the very end, but Sally won it by a whisker. Hundreds of people avoided death by a mere whisker when their apartment building caught on fire in the middle of the night.

come within a whisker of (something)

To almost get, achieve, or experience something. She came within a whisker of the gold medal, but her leg cramped in the last few meters. Hundreds of people came within a whisker of death when their apartment building caught on fire in the middle of the night. No, they came within a whisker of defeat. They only won on a last-second touchdown!

Gee whiskers!

old-fashioned An exclamation of surprise, enthusiasm, or amazement. Gee whiskers! That show sure was great, huh guys? A: "Boo!" B: "Ack! Gee whiskers, Debbie, you frightened me half to death!" Nancy? Gee whiskers, I haven't seen you in ages! How are you?

have grown whiskers

To be old, as of a story or joke. No one laughed at your story because it had grown whiskers by then. Mom, we know you had it rough as a kid. Those tales have grown whiskers by now. Audience disinterest tells me that these jokes have grown whiskers and I need some fresh material.

have whiskers

To be old, as of a story or joke. No one laughed at your story because it had whiskers by then. Mom, we know you had it rough as a kid. Those tales have whiskers by now. Audience disinterest tells me that these jokes have whiskers and I need some fresh material.

Mr. Whiskers

The government of the United States of America. A reference to "Uncle Sam," a personification of the United States or its government that is typically shown to be an older man with a long grey goatee wearing the stars and stripes of the American flag on his clothes and top hat. I don't own a cell phone, and I try not to use a computer if I can help it—don't want Mr. Whiskers watching and listening to everything I do. I suggest you pay your taxes on time and in full, unless you want old Mr. Whiskers knocking on your door in the future.

the cat's whiskers

Something or someone that is highly enjoyable, desirable, or impressive, especially in a fancy or elaborate way. Tom's new Cadillac is really the cat's whiskers! Boy, that singer last night was the cat's whiskers, wasn't she?

See also: whisker

Uncle Whiskers

The government of the United States of America. A reference to "Uncle Sam," a personification of the United States or its government that is typically shown to be an older man with a long grey goatee wearing the stars and stripes of the American flag on his clothes and top hat. I don't own a cell phone, and I try not to use a computer if I can help it—don't want Uncle Whiskers watching and listening to everything I do. I suggest you pay your taxes on time and in full, unless you want old Uncle Whiskers knocking on your door in the future.

win (something) by a whisker

To succeed or defeat someone in something by only a very narrow margin. Making huge gains during the final lap, the underdog rookie managed to overtake the reigning champion and win the race by a whisker. We only won by a whisker, but at least we got the conviction we were looking for.

within a whisker of (something)

Very close to something. I swear the car came within a whisker of hitting the train, but stopped at the last second. I came within a whisker of winning that race, but I guess I'll have to settle for second place.

by a hair('s breadth)

and by a whisker

Fig. just barely; by a very small distance. I just missed getting on the plane by a hair's breadth. I made it onto the last flight by a hair!

win by a nose

Fig. to win by the slightest amount of difference. (Can be literal in horses races.) I ran the fastest race I could, but I only won by a nose. Sally won the race, but she only won by a nose.

by a hair

Also, by a hairbreadth or whisker . Very narrowly. For example, His serve was out by a hair, or We made our flight by a hairbreadth, or Dad missed hitting the pole by a whisker. The first two hyperboles for the very narrowest margin date from the 1300s and 1400s respectively; whisker meaning "a small amount" was first recorded in 1913. Also see by the skin of one's teeth; hang by a hair.

win by a nose

Also, win by a whisker. Just barely succeed, as in Sally's political cartoon came in first in the contest, but I heard that she won by a nose . This term comes from horseracing, where from about 1900 on it referred to a finish so close that only a portion of the horse's nose reached the finish ahead of the second horse. A whisker-that is, a hair-is a narrower margin yet. [Second half of 1900s]

the cat's whiskers

the cat's pyjamas

BRITISH, OLD-FASHIONED

If you describe someone or something as the cat's whiskers or the cat's pyjamas, you mean they are the best person or thing of their kind. She had this great dress on with huge skirts, and she thought she was the cat's whiskers as she walked into the room. We critics variously declared the show brilliant, the cat's pyjamas, breathtaking, and unmissable. Note: These expressions were originally American and became popular in Britain during the 1920s. `Cat's whisker' was also the name of a fine wire in a crystal wireless receiver.

See also: whisker

by a whisker

If you succeed or fail to do something by a whisker, you succeed or fail, but only just. The French government only scraped a Yes vote by a whisker. At the end we lost by a whisker and we were so disappointed.

come within a whisker of something

COMMON If you come within a whisker of doing something, you almost do it. He came within a whisker of scoring the most spectacular goal. Meanwhile, Guccione came within a whisker of losing his mansion. Note: You can also say that someone is within a whisker of doing something. The two firms are within a whisker of agreeing a deal. Yet Miller had been within a whisker of being sacked.

See also: come, of, something, whisker, within

within a whisker of something

If something is within a whisker of a particular amount, it is almost that amount. The price of gold is now within a whisker of $330 an ounce.

See also: of, something, whisker, within

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012

the cat's whiskers

an excellent person or thing. informal

Other similar phrases include the cat's pyjamas and the chiefly North American the cat's miaou .

See also: whisker

have (or have grown) whisker

s (especially of a story) be very old. informal

within a whisker of

extremely close or near to doing, achieving, or suffering something. informal

the cat’s ˈwhiskers/pyˈjamas

(informal, often ironic) the best person, idea, thing, etc: She thinks she’s the cat’s whiskers.

be, come, etc. within a whisker of something/of doing something

(British English) almost do something: They came within a whisker of being killed.

See also: of, something, whisker, within

do something by a ˈwhisker

(informal) do something, but nearly fail; do something, but only just: He missed the first prize by a whisker. ♢ You escaped serious injury by a whisker, so consider yourselves very lucky.

Mr. Whiskers

and Uncle Whiskers and whiskers (man)

n. a federal agent. (Underworld. From the whiskers of Uncle Sam.) Mr. Whiskers is trying to get me to pay tax on those few bucks. If Uncle Whiskers finds out what you’re doing, you’re done for.

Uncle Whiskers

verb

See Mr. Whiskers

whiskers man

verb

See Mr. Whiskers

whiskers

verb

See Mr. Whiskers

See also: whisker

by a hair/whisker

Very narrowly, by a very small distance or amount. For example, “He missed sideswiping that car by a hair,” or “That ball was in, but just by a whisker.” Both versions of this cliché allude to the fineness of a single hair. The first, also put as by a hairbreadth, dates from the fourteenth century, whereas the second originated in early twentieth-century America.