Whare does the expression "Not enough room to swing a cat." come from?
94508
Well the leading expert on word and phrase orgins, says it probably really means to cruelly swing a cat by the tail.\n\n>>\n There are two theories about "not enough room to swing a cat," neither of them very cheerful. One is that the phrase refers to the "cat o'nine tails," a nine-thonged whip used in the days of square-rigged ships to discipline unruly sailors. This "cat" got its name from the fact that the welts it left on a sailor's back looked like enormous cat scratches. Most such whippings took place on the open deck, both as an example to the rest of the crew and because in the cramped quarters belowdecks there was "not enough room to swing a cat."\n\nThe other, less cat-friendly theory is that the phrase refers to literally swinging a cat around by its tail. This version seems to have quite a bit more evidence in its favor, the phrase having come into use in the mid-17th century and being used with clear reference to actual cats ever since, including in Charles Dickens' "David Copperfield." \n>>\n\nMark Twain uses the phrase in the kitty sense in his wonderful book "Roughing It":\n\n>>\nThe floor room unoccupied was not extensive. \nOne might swing a cat in it, perhaps, but not a long cat.\n>>\n\nAccording to the Oxford English Dictionary:\n>>\n1771 SMOLLETT Humph. Cl. II. 8 June, At London, I am pent up in frowzy lodgings, where there is not room enough to swing a cat.\n\n1665 Medela Pestil. 57 They had not space enough (according to the vulgar saying) to swing a Cat in.\n\n1850 DICKENS David Copperfield xxxv, Mrs. Crupp had indignantly assured him that there wasn't room to swing a cat there; but, as Mr. Dick just observed to me,..‘You know, Trotwood, I don't want to swing a cat. I never do swing a cat.’\n>>
458828
Proverbial means from a proverb.  There is an old saying "curiosity killed the cat" - it's not exactly a proverb, but that's what the person meant when he / she said that.  Cats are notoriously curious - more than is good for them.  If you've ever owned one, it has certainly gotten into all kinds of trouble around the house I'm sure - falling into fish tanks, knocking things over etc.  \n\nCuriosity killed the cat is a well-known proverb to warn against being too inquisitive lest you come to harm.\n\nThe earliest printed reference to the origin of this proverb is attributed to British playwright Ben Jonson in his 1598 play, Every Man in His Humour (performed first by British playwright William Shakespeare).\n\n...Helter skelter, hang sorrow, care will kill a cat, up-tails all, and a pox on the hangman.\n\nIn this instance, "care" was defined as "worry" or "sorrow."\n\nShakespeare used a similar quote in his circa 1599 play, Much Ado About Nothing:\n\nWhat, courage man! what though care killed a cat, thou hast mettle enough in thee to kill care.\n\nThe proverb apparently remained the same until at least 1898. E. Cobham Brewer included this definition in his Dictionary of Phrase and Fable:\n\nCare killed the Cat. It is said that "a cat has nine lives," yet care would wear them all out.\n\nThe earliest known printed reference that is similar in style and meaning to the current proverb is O. Henry's short story Schools and Schools from 1909:\n\nCuriosity can do more things than kill a cat; and if emotions, well recognized as feminine, are inimical to feline life, then jealousy would soon leave the whole world catless.\n\nThe earliest known printed reference to the actual phrase occurred in The Washington Post on 4 March 1916 (page 6):\n\nCURIOSITY KILLED THE CAT.\n\nFour Departments of New York City Government Summoned to Rescue Feline.\n\nFrom the New York World.\n\nCuriosity, as you may recall—\n\nOn the fifth floor of the apartment house at 203 West 130th street lives Miss Mable Godfrey. When she came to the house about seven months ago she brought Blackie, a cat of several years' experience of life.\n\nThe cat seldom left the apartment. He was a hearth cat, not a fence cat, and did not dearly love to sing. In other respects he was normal and hence curious.\n\nLast Tuesday afternoon when Miss Godfrey was out Blackie skipped into the grate fireplace in a rear room. He had done this many times before. But he had not climbed up the flue to the chimney. This he did Tuesday. Blackie there remained, perched on the top of the screen separating the apartment flue from the main chimney, crying for assistance. Miss Godfrey, returning, tried to induce her pet to come down. If you are experienced in felinity, you know that Blackie didn't come down.\n\nOn Wednesday the cat, curiosity unsatisfied, tried to climb higher—and fell to the first floor. His cries could still be heard by Miss Godfrey; who, to effect Blackie's rescue, communicated with the following departments:\n1. Police department.\n2. Fire department.\n3. Health department.\n4. Building department.\n5. Washington Heights court.\n\nAmong them they lowered a rope to Blackie. But it availed neither the cat nor them anything.\nThursday morning, just before noon, a plumber opened the rear wall back of the chimney. Blackie was taken out. His fall had injured his back. Ten minutes later Blackie died.\n\nThe proverb, though, has been widely attributed to Eugene O'Neill who included the variation, "Curiosity killed a cat!" in his play Diff'rent from 1920:\n\nBENNY—(with a wink) Curiosity killed a cat! Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies.\n\n[edit]\nCuriosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.\nThe origin of this variation is unknown. But, the earliest printed reference occurs in a horoscope printed in The Lima News (Lima, Ohio) from 14 September 1966 (pag
92761
Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.\n\nEven 'The quick brown fox jumps over a lazy dog' has more letters than 'Pack my box...', a sentence which is used in the book trade.\n\nETA: It needs to be jumps, rather than jumped, otherwise there is no s.
469691
It wasn't Lincoln who coined this phrase. The first person to use the pharse was Aesop in his tale "The Four Oxen and the Lion" In this story the oxen would defend themselves against attacks from the lion by standing tail to tail in a circle so that the lion would meet only horns when attacking them. Eventually, the oxen got into a fight and separated. This left the lion a chance to atttack them all and eat them. The moral of the story was "united We stand, divided we fall" \n\nYes, abe Lincoln did use it later on and that perhaps is how it became popluar in America. Patrick henry also used this phrase in his last speech before his death in 1799. He was upset over the possible division of Virginia's house of Representatives.
521879
The string of ***** is pussey\n\nPussy is both a vulgar word referring to the vulva and vagina, and an affectionate term for a "cat". Thus it can be used as a double entendre. It can also be a derogatory term implying cowardice.\n\nThe origins of the word are unknown. The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) explains that the word "puss" is common to several Teutonic languages, usually as a call name for the cat — not a synonym for "cat", as it is in English. Both the OED and Webster's Third International Dictionary point out similarities with the Old Norse, pūss (pocket); the Low German, pūse (vulva); and the Old English, pusa (bag), etc.; the medieval French word pucelle referred to a young adolescent girl or a virgin [1], although this comes from a slang term for virginity puce (flea) rather than referring to cats. In the 17th century, the term was also used to refer to women in general.\n\nThe word in the former sense normally refers almost exclusively to the aforementioned portions of the female anatomy. It was not included in George Carlin's list of seven dirty words, as it can be used in the sense of kitty, and George Carlin's list was remarking upon words that can never be said on television. Most dictionaries mark the form referring to a vulva as "vulgar" or "offensive" and its use is frowned upon in polite company.\n\nThe word pussy can also be used in a derogatory sense to refer to a male who is not considered sufficiently masculine (see Gender role). When used in this sense, it carries the implication of being easily fatigued, weak or cowardly. This meaning for the word may arise as a shortened form of 'pusillanimous'.\n\nMen dominated by women (particularly their partners or spouses and at one time referred to as 'Hen-pecked') can be referred to as pussy-whipped (or simply whipped in slightly more polite society or media).\n\nAccording to the Oxford English Dictionary, puss was used as a "call-name" for cats in both German and English, but pussy was used in English more as a synonym for "cat." In addition to cats, the word was also used for rabbits and hares as well as a humorous name for tigers. In the 19th century, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, the meaning was extended "in childish speech, applied to anything soft and furry", as in pussy willow. In thieves' slang, it meant "fur coat".\n\nTo pussyfoot around the question or point means to be evasive, cautious, or conceal one's opinions. The reference is to the careful, soft tread of the cat and has no vulgar implications.\n\nI hope i have explained as much as u want.\nenjoy hope this helps u out with ure confusion.
1114686
It's been years, but I've heard a different variation.  The one I heard (from my mother) included, "Had plenty" vs "You caught twenty?"  and "Ate sufficient" instead of "Dined sufficient."  It seems like there was a third miscommunication in the poem, but I can't remember what it was.\n\nDo these alternative phrases give you anything new to search with?\n\nI did find the site below, but it is a long story (copyright 2005), not an old poem.
684790
I have never heard this phrase in my seven years. What is the context?
131954
it means her butt is too big.  Adj. Describes a woman with a fair to good amount of butt. Generally caries a positive connotation."I can't stand those anorexic girls, I need a girl with some junk in the trunk!"
865483
It usually means that the person is weak and/or foolish enough for other people to take advantage of.\nIt can also just be used as a generic insult, I suppose.
866020
The phrase began as a result of the game of cricket. The fielding team have two players bowling the cricket ball at the oppositions wickets' Each bowler bowls 6 balls, which is called an over. If the bowler hits the opposition wickets, that opposing player, the batsman, is out of the game, having being had his wickets bowled over. Dpending on the relative skills of the batsman and bowler, being bowled could be a surpriisng act. \n\nThe idiom was then picked up for general use as a way to describe the act of totally surprising someone.
915542
It means extra space or room.
782483
To not let school get in the way of my education.  It's actually a quote from Mark Twain, but it was relayed to me by a favorite English professor.  It's important to me because it means, simply, to not let the rigors and requirements of school get in the way of learning, to not get in the way of following what I love.
979295
Something that is insufficient is not large enough in amount for a particular purpose. Example : His salary is INSUFFICIENT to meet his needs.
781018
you didn't give us enough of the quote to know what it's about. What is the entire quotation and what is the context?
1170816
This originated in the early 1980s. It is generally regarded as an American expression. This item from the New York newspaper the Syracuse Herald-American, Feb. 1982, which is the earliest version in print that I can find, puts that in some doubt. It's in a piece by Jerry Buck, writing out of Los Angeles, about actress Lauren Tewes
737181
It sounds like a line from the old "Star Trek," when someone was insulting Mr. Spock.\n\nHis answer would probably have been something like, "If you are expecting an answer, your question is illogical. If your question is rhetorical I expect you are trying to insult me which is impossible since I'm incapable of feeling emotion and therefore - feeling insulted."
42613
Get real.  There are people who could not find their butt with 12 hands.  Some people are so far from reality that they do not even know they have a butt, much less capable of finding one.\nThe phrase, however, is usually used sarcasticly, not literally.