(Has the) cat got your tongue?
(redirected from cat got your tongue)(Has the) cat got your tongue?
A humorous question directed at one who is not speaking very much or at all. A: "What's wrong, sonny? Cat got your tongue?" B: "Oh, he's just shy around new people, that's all."
See also: cat
(Has the) Cat got your tongue?
Why are you not saying anything? (Often said by adults to children.) Grandpa used to terrify me, both because he was big and fierce-looking and because he usually greeted me by bellowing, "Cat got your tongue?" Hi, Lisa! How are you? How's your husband? Are you surprised to see me? What's the matter, has the cat got your tongue?
See also: cat
cat got one's tongue
A comment made when someone is unaccountably or unusually quiet, as in We haven't heard from you all morning-has the cat got your tongue? Often put as a question, this term originally was used mainly with a child who did something wrong and refused to answer any questions. Today it is used more generally to ask anyone to speak. [Mid-1800s]
has the cat got your tongue?
People say Has the cat got your tongue? when they think that someone who is silent should be saying something. Has the cat got your tongue? Can't you even say hello? Note: This expression is often used angrily.
See also: cat
(has the) cat got your tongue?
(informal) why don’t you say anything?: What’s the matter — cat got your tongue?See also: cat