Chrysti The Wordsmith: Cat Words

Greetings This is Christie the wordsmith. Humans and cats have been close associates for at least 5000 years. Domesticated by the Egyptians. Cats were valued as hunters of mice and rats that plague the immense state greenery. The cat slipped a few notches in popularity in Europe during the middle ages when they were associated with witchcraft and burned at the stake with their owners. Never the less cats inhabit our homes and our lexicon. A catty person for example is sneering and sarcastic. The adjective reflects the sharp claws and hisses of an offended feline. The expression Catspaw recalls the favor of a clever monkey who tricks a cat into raking some chestnuts out of the fire with her paw. The monkey gets the chestnuts and the cat nothing but burns from the fire. A cat's paw is a gullible person who may easily be used as a pawn. A cat call is a yell of scorn. In 17th century England a catcall was a squeaky instrument played by music hall audiences to express

disapproval the 1811 dictionary of the vulgar tongue says the cat call derives its name from its sounds which greatly resembles the modulation of an intriguing boar cat. In other words a Tomcats squalls while on the prowl for a date. I'm Christie the wordsmith reminding you to visit your library or bookstore for slang and etymological dictionaries. Good Dave herbivores Christie the wordsmith is sponsored by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Zoot enterprises a high tech firm in Bozeman Montana offering challenging careers and innovative solutions for the financial services industry. Zoot web dot com.