a dead cat on the line
a dead cat on the line
A phrase used to describe a situation in which something is wrong. She's been acting so strange lately that I'm worried there's a dead cat on the line.
dead cat on the line
Rur. [for something to be] wrong. I'm afraid there's a dead cat on the line over at Martha's place. I haven't heard from them for days. Bill has a kind of sixth sense. He can tell a dead cat on the line before anybody knows there's something wrong.