Cats do no better.They are described as humourless and cruel rulers (“While the cat’s away,the mouse will play”)or as self-satisfied (“The cat that got the cream”).They are also related to unspeakable horrors.For example,“There’s not enough room to swing a cat”.“Cat” is a short form of the cat-o’-nine-tails(九尾鞭).The phrase probably originated at sea,where unfortunate sailors were beaten in tiny spaces.Despite all the above,“the cat’s whiskers(须)” are the most desirable whiskers.

　　How our lovely companions entered the language in this way remains a mystery,but there are some explanations.“To let the cat out of the bag” probably refers to traders who tried to pass off(冒充) an old cat as a nice juicy little pig.“It’s raining cats and dogs”,meanwhile,is related to cats with the mysterious force controlling the weather and dogs with the wind.Other sources suggest that it dates from the time when inner-city gutters(排水沟) overflowed with rubbish and dead animals.

　　Many of these phrases reflect a time when cats and dogs were not as cherished as they are now.My own personal motto “Love me,love my dog” dates back as far as 1485,when it was recorded in a book called Early English Miscellanies.Although originally it may imply“If you really love me,you will have to accept my boils and scars(疤痕)”,it now means “If you love me,you will get to play with my little doggies,too”.

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