Question

Cat Got Your Tongue? Is there a reason that you're not speaking?

Accepted Answer

Why don't you answer me? Cat got your tongue? By the mid-1800s this expression was popular in both the United States and Britain. No one is sure where it came from, but you can imagine that if a cat really got hold of your tongue, you wouldn't be able to say a word. Probably someone thought up this saying to ask, "Why don't you talk?" in a clever way, and it caught on.

Idiom	Cat Got Your Tongue?
Example	Why don't you answer me? Cat got your tongue?
Meaning	Is there a reason that you're not speaking?
Origin	By the mid-1800s this expression was popular in both the United States and Britain. No one is sure where it came from, but you can imagine that if a cat really got hold of your tongue, you wouldn't be able to say a word. Probably someone thought up this saying to ask, "Why don't you talk?" in a clever way, and it caught on.

Cat Tongue Answer Reason Speaking Mid 1800s Expression Popular