# cat got someone's tongue

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/cat-got-someones-tongue
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Why is someone not saying anything?

## Examples

- 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.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.