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fifiminx
Beginner August 2010

Who's she? The cat's mother.

fifiminx, 14 December, 2008 at 17:13 Posted on Off Topic Posts 0 19

Does anyone know if this has a specific origin?

I've tried googling and managed find something about it being first documented in the 19th century. It started a debate between OH and I. I just thought it was a slang term.

19 replies

Latest activity by Melancholie, 14 December, 2008 at 22:11
  • hazel
    VIP July 2007
    hazel ·
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    I don't know but my mother says it all the time ?

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  • fifiminx
    Beginner August 2010
    fifiminx ·
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    My son said it about me (as in she's using the laptop!) I immediately replied with it. I must have had it from my mother cos I have no idea where it came from!

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  • Melancholie
    Beginner December 2014
    Melancholie ·
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    Don't know the first usage or anything but I do know that in the same way a male cat is a tom, a female cat is a she.

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  • Old Saint Nick Esq.
    Old Saint Nick Esq. ·
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    Ladies & Gentlemen, we have a winner....

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  • Melancholie
    Beginner December 2014
    Melancholie ·
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    View quoted message

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  • fifiminx
    Beginner August 2010
    fifiminx ·
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    Ah thanks guys...

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  • SophieM
    SophieM ·
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    Quite. Good use of irony by ONE.

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  • Melancholie
    Beginner December 2014
    Melancholie ·
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    CatStuff: She's the cat's mother - A rebuke

    A rebuke to someone who refers to a woman as 'she' instead of by her name, either formal or informal. The 'she' in the phrase is the female of a cat, the male being a 'tom', and is not to be applied to a woman when you're in her company.
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  • SophieM
    SophieM ·
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    See your CatStuff (a well known linguistic autority, natch) and raise you Wikipedia:

    "A group of cats is referred to as a clowder, a male cat is called a tom (or a gib, if neutered), and a female is called a queen."

    Anyway, the expression is "Who's 'she'? The cat's mother?" and afaik it's just way of pointing out the rudeness of referring to someone as if they weren't there when they are.

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  • Melancholie
    Beginner December 2014
    Melancholie ·
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    Ah yes, Wikipedia, the site that can't be edited by any moron who cares to try. The site that, for a short while, listed my school's motto as "Your child. Their future. Our paedophile." Great source.

    I'll point you in the direction of the bit I highlighted and add a bit of extra emphasis: "The 'she' in the phrase is the female of a cat"

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  • HeidiHoHoHole
    HeidiHoHoHole ·
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    A female cat is called a queen once she reaches puberty.

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  • Melancholie
    Beginner December 2014
    Melancholie ·
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    Didn't say she wasn't right. Just pointed out it's a bit daft to criticise a source, then list wikipedia as a better one.

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  • Hoobygroovy
    Hoobygroovy ·
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    If SophieM was honestly holding Wikipedia up as the source of all knowledge on the internet, then I'm a Chinaman's aunt (etymology, please? ?)

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  • HeidiHoHoHole
    HeidiHoHoHole ·
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    Who's she? The cat's mother ?

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  • Hoobygroovy
    Hoobygroovy ·
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    Waaah! ?

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  • Melancholie
    Beginner December 2014
    Melancholie ·
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