not enough room to swing a cat
Meaning
Noun
- Very little space (available) .
Related
Similar words
Origin
- Attested 1665, by which point already in common use; perhaps of naval slang origin.
- While it is frequently stated that the phrase is derived from cat-o'-nine-tails, this latter term is only attested from 1695, and hence this idiom presumably derived from literally swinging a cat around, as by the tail.
Modern English dictionary
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