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Download the Cat Idioms List & PDF Worksheets
View the updated web-version of the cat idioms list in the table below.
The idiom worksheets and games are also free to download.
- Download and print the PDFs.
- Use the materials for interactive learning activities in class.
- Students can also complete the worksheets to review or for self-study.
Cat Idiom Worksheets for ESL Students
Worksheet A: Defining Idioms & Writing Sentences with Idioms
Worksheet B: Reading Idioms in Context & Describing Meanings
Fun Cat Idiom Games for the Classroom
Cat Idioms Checklist (for BINGO)
31 Idioms and Phrases About Cats
*Updated: December 2021
| Idiom / Phrase | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| a cat in gloves catches no mice | being too careful can result in failure | You need to tell her how you really feel if you want to marry her. Remember that a cat in gloves catches no mice. |
| bell the cat | take on a difficult task | Politicians should bell the cat and start reducing the inflation rate. |
| cat and mouse | playfully deceive | The boss kept playing cat and mouse with me and never gave me the raise. |
| cat around | sleep with many people | His wife used to cat around while he was working hard at the office. |
| cat burglar | quick thief | The cat burglar took everything in the house before the cops arrived. |
| cat got your tongue | said when someone doesn't speak | What's wrong? Cat got your tongue? You haven't said a word since we arrived. |
| cat on a hot tin roof | very nervous | I felt like a cat on a hot tin roof waiting for my medical results. |
| cat's cradle | something overly complicated | There is a cat's cradle of rules that you must follow to board a flight these days. |
| cat's meow | something wonderful | Her birthday cake was the cat's meow. She ate the whole thing in less than a minute! |
| cat's paw | someone being exploited | Poorer citizens are usually the cat's paw of politicians. They use them only to get votes and never follow through on promised policies. |
| catcall | sexually suggestive comment | The construction workers were all catcalling the woman as she walked by. |
| catfight | a fight between two women | The catfight was brutal! The other girl scratched her face with her nails. |
| catnap | a short sleep | My father always takes a catnap after work. |
| cool cat | a hip or cool person | He was such a coot cat. He was respected by his peers and the girls all loved him. |
| copycat | someone who copies another | You're such a copycat! Do your own work! |
| curiosity killed the cat | curiosity may lead to unwanted circumstances | Don't enter that haunted house. Remember that curiosity killed the cat! |
| fat cat | wealthy person | Fat cats get wealthier with inflation while the poor have to pay more for groceries. |
| grin like a Cheshire cat | mischievously satisfied | She was grinning like a Cheshire cat after she had used her boyfriend's credit card. |
| let the cat out of the bag | reveal a secret | Don't let the cat out of the bag about the birthday party. |
| like herding cats | a difficult task | Getting everyone to take the vaccine is like herding cats. |
| like the cat got the cream | satisfaction with some kind of achievement | After proving her innocence, she smiled at the police officer like the cat got the cream. |
| look what the cat dragged in | someone unwelcome has arrived | Look what the cat dragged in. We told you to stay home and talk to your therapist. |
| more than one way to skin a cat | more than one way to succeed | There's more than one way to skin a cat. Let's quit our jobs and start a business by the beach! |
| no room to swing a cat | very small place | There's no room to swing a cat in this apartment. I can almost touch the two walls with both hands. |
| not have a cat's chance in hell | no chance whatsoever | You don't have a cat's chance in hell of marrying her. |
| put the cat among pigeons | an action that causes problems | You really put the cat among pigeons when you brought up those bill payments again. |
| raining cats and dogs | raining heavily | It's raining cats and dogs. Remember your umbrella. |
| scaredy-cat | someone who is always scared | Are you really afraid of the dark? You're such a scaredy-cat! |
| the cat's pyjamas | the best person or thing | She's the cat's pyjamas. Everyone loves to watch her perform on the stage. |
| the cat's whiskers | the best person or thing | Do you think you're really the cat's whiskers? Anybody can parallel park with car sensors now. |
| while the cat's away, the mice will play | people will misbehave when there is no authority figure | They never do any work when the boss is out of the office. While the cat's away, the mice will play! |
Extra Examples of Cat Idioms in Use
Do you want to read more examples and sentences with cat idioms?
Try entering the expressions in a corpus database or language app.
We highly recommend the following corpus resources and tools: