bell the cat
To undertake a dangerous action in the service of a group.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Someone needs to bell the cat and tell the boss the truth.”
“I will bell the cat and ask our teacher to cancel the difficult test.”
“The project is failing, but nobody wants to bell the cat by admitting it to the manager.”
“The neighbors all complain about the loud parties, but nobody is willing to bell the cat and call the police.”
“The players knew the coach was being unfair, yet they waited for the team captain to bell the cat and demand a change.”
“Although the entire department recognized the systemic flaws in the new policy, no one was brave enough to bell the cat during the executive meeting.”
The phrase derives from a mediaeval fable concerning a council of mice who, seeking a method to avoid the local cat, propose attaching a bell to its neck to provide advance warning of its arrival. The plan is considered sound until the question arises of who should be the one to approach the predator. The fable illustrates the social inconvenience of a strategy that requires a volunteer for an almost certainly fatal task.
- 01
bear away the bell
To be superior in something.
- 02
bell out
To open out into a bell shape.
- 03
bells and whistles
Extra features added for show rather than function; fancy additions or features.
- 04
cat and dog life
An unhappy married life marked by arguments and disagreements.
- 05
cat got someone's tongue
Why is someone not saying anything?
- 06
cat in the meal-tub
Something concealed; a hidden danger.
- 07
cat piss
Any beverage of low quality.
- 08
cat that ate the canary
A person who appears self-satisfied or smug, especially while concealing something mischievous, prohibited, or private.
Last updated August 10, 2026