cat got someone's tongue
Why is someone not saying anything?
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Why are you so quiet? Has the cat got your tongue?”
“You have been silent all evening; has the cat got your tongue?”
“When the teacher asked who broke the window, the boy stared at his shoes as if the cat had got his tongue.”
- 01
another nail in someone's coffin
An event that increases the likelihood of or causes further failure.
- 02
answer someone's prayers
To be or do exactly what someone has been wishing or asking for.
- 03
answer to someone's prayers
Exactly what someone has been wishing or asking for.
- 04
apple of someone's eye
The object of somebody's affections; a person (or sometimes a thing) that someone strongly prefers; a favorite, a loved one.
- 05
as it gets
As it is possible to be.
- 06
bane of someone's existence
Someone or something that poses a significant problem to someone.
- 07
bash someone's face in
To beat someone violently.
- 08
bash someone's head
To beat up someone violently.
Last updated August 10, 2026