Tag Archives: cat proverb

Cat Calls: Why Doesn’t Anyone Ever Answer?

Anyone who has ever made the acquaintance of even one feline knows that cats will come when they are called only if and when they feel like it. I don’t know who said it, but I once came across an expression that sums the feline personality up as follows: “Dogs Come When Called, Cats Leave a Message and Get Back To You.” But from where did this descriptive and distinctly unpleasant term derive, and why is it associated with one of our most beloved four legged companions? A catcall can be defined as the “derisory or impatient call or cry … Continue reading →

A Cat May Look On A King: Proverb of Old

This idiomatic expression is a bit more cryptic than others of its ilk, and although the exact origin is unknown, its significance is very specific. Down through the ages it has come to mean that humble people are entitled to express their opinions about supposedly “superior” people. Stretched a bit further, it also implies that they also have the right to laugh at and make fun of them. They are not required to purr or meow, however, as those are considered optional and extraneous manifestations of behavior. The idea of a “cat looking at a king” is expressed when said … Continue reading →