Cat Got Your Tongue?: Curious Feline Phrases from Around the World
Hannah Shaw, widely known online as the Kitten Lady and the author behind Tiny But Mighty and Cats of the World, turns her attention here to something altogether unexpected: the surprising number of ways humans across the globe have used cats to say what words alone can't quite manage. This slim, beautifully illustrated volume gathers 60 cat-related proverbs and idioms from countries as varied as India, Malaysia, Romania, and France. Each entry arrives with its original language, an English translation, a clear explanation of how and why it's used, and a charming illustration by New Yorker cartoonist Sophie Lucido Johnson. The result is something that sits happily between a linguistics curiosity and a coffee table treat. The phrases themselves are wonderfully odd. A Finnish saying describes someone getting a job done by 'wiping the table with a cat.' A Yiddish curse wishes that you might 'turn into a blintz and be snatched by a cat.' The Dutch, meanwhile, warn against temptation by telling you not to 'tie the cat to the bacon.' Each one opens a small window into how a culture thinks, jokes, and scolds. Shaw collected these sayings during her travels as an animal welfare advocate, and that personal thread gives the book a warmth it might otherwise lack. It's genuinely funny in places, quietly illuminating in others, and short enough to read in an afternoon. Cat lovers will adore it, naturally, but so will anyone with a soft spot for language, travel, or the strange universality of human expression. A pleasing little gift, and an even better keep-for-yourself.
- Author: Hannah Shaw
- Publisher: Ten Speed Press
- Genre: Pet Care & Training
- ISBN: 978-0593836385
- Pages: 128 pages