# the cat's pyjamas

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/the-cats-pyjamas
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A highly sought-after and fancy example of something, usually referring to inanimate objects.

## Examples

- This new phone is the cat's pyjamas.
- Your new leather jacket is the cat's pyjamas.
- Everyone at the party was talking about her vintage car — it really was the cat's pyjamas.
- If you want a reliable laptop for editing videos, this high-end model is the cat's pyjamas because it never slows down.
- The hotel suite was the cat's pyjamas, featuring a private balcony that overlooked the entire city skyline and the ocean.
- Among collectors, the 1920s gramophone with its original horn and mahogany case is considered the cat's pyjamas, fetching prices that would astonish ordinary listeners.

## Origin

Popular in the US as early as 1922 around which the bee's knees, cat's whiskers, and numerous other similar phrases gained prominence. Sometimes attributed to cartoonist Tad Dorgan. It is widely believed that the origin of this idiom predates considerably, tracing back to the early 1800s in England. During this period, a tailor named E.B. Katz crafted silk pajamas for members of royalty and the upper class.

---

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.