EVER heard the phrase “cat got your tongue” and wondered where it came from?
It turns out that the history behind it is very gruesome indeed, as you may expect.
According to BBC’s History Extra, there may be two explanations behind the famous saying.
The first is that ancient Egyptian kings would cut out the tongues of people who displeased them – such as liars – and feed them to their cats.
This also ties in with a similar theory that some people think that witches used to “steal a person’s speech” by removing their tongue and giving it to their cats.
However, there is a second theory behind the name.
More on history
People are only just realising what Volkswagen car names actually mean
People are just realising where the phrase ‘painting the town red’ comes from
Some people think the phrase came from a whip called a “cat-o’-nine tails”, that was used by the English navy for flogging victims, rendering them speechless.
It is thought some people would fall silent at the mere mention of the whip.
Historians have looked back to find the first recorded usage of the phrase, and an early record was back in 1881 in the US publication Ballou's Monthly Magazine.
It also appears in the 1911 novel Bob Hardwick by Henry Howard Harper.
Most read in Fabulous
Meghan Markle 'welled up' while accepting gong at glitzy New York gala
People are just realising what the secret buttons on McDonald's cups are for
My hubby is useless- we’ve got 4 kids & I do practically everything
Urgent warning to dog owners over pet food which could be DEADLY
There is also a saying in French which is similar, “je jette ma langue au chat”, which translates as “I throw my tongue to the cat”.
It has a slightly different meaning, however, and is used in the place of “I have nothing to say.”
While the official origins may be blurry, it’s certainly a phrase that has stood the test of time over a century.
Source: Read Full Article