The Cat’s in the Bag

My laptop just got some company!

It’s not surprising… With two cats at home who like to find their own place no matter what you make comfortable for them… this is one of their favorite haunts.

 

(Imagine my predicament if I had blindly picked up the bag and rushed off to work!)

Here is something interesting about “cat quotes”

Many people use the phrase “let the cat out of the bag” to refer to divulging a secret, but they are often unaware of the colorful history behind the term.

In order to understand the origins of “let the cat out of the bag,” it helps to understand how medieval markets worked. During the Middle Ages, markets or fairs were held to sell livestock, produce, and other goods from around a region. Most of the livestock was sold alive, usually in sacks so that the purchaser could bring it home relatively neatly. As a general rule, someone would inspect the pigs, chickens, and so forth for sale and pick one out, and then the farmer would bag the animal so that it could be carried.

Unscrupulous merchants might replace the livestock with a cat, since cats were readily available. The unknowing customer would carry the bag home, open it, and realize that he or she had been swindled. However, the plot relied on not letting the cat out of the bag too early. If the bag was opened in the marketplace, the customer could demand reparations from the merchant, since the secret would be out. Of course, the scheme would also rely on a quiet cat, since most people know the difference between a oink and a meow.

Cats feature very often in English proverbs (this routine appearance of cats in the language is no doubt a consequence of them being widely kept as mousers and pets in domestic houses)

A cat may look at a king – 1546
All cats are grey in the dark – 1596
Curiosity killed the cat – 1921
There are more ways of killing a cat than choking it with cream – 1855
When the cat is away, the mice will play – 1607

For the coming few posts, be prepared for more cat-attacks! 🙂