the cat’s pyjamas
noun phrase; informal; chiefly British

- a highly admired or exceptionally excellent person or thing

- the best person, thing or idea

- a person or thing regarded as excellent or superior

Merriam-Webster, Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, Collins English Dictionary

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PHRASE ORIGIN

The cat’s pajamas emerged in American English around 1920. 

It belonged to a Jazz Age fashion for absurd animal expressions denoting excellence.

Pajamas came into English through Hindustani from Persian pāy-jāma, literally “leg clothing”. The British spelling pyjamas developed later.

Why imaginary feline nightwear should represent perfection remains unexplained—which is probably part of its charm.

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WHY NONSENSE STICKS

Imagine a list of compliments: excellent, outstanding, first-rate, the kipper’s knickers. Which one survives five minutes later?

Psychologists call this advantage for unusual information “The Isolation Effect”. German psychologist Hedwig von Restorff demonstrated it experimentally in 1933: an item that differs from otherwise similar material is often recalled better, ... it’s now commonly called “The von Restorff” effect.

The playful compliments of the 1920s supplied plenty of distinctive material. Alongside surviving expressions such as the bee’s knees appeared inventions including the antelope’s tonsils, the caterpillar’s kimono, the snake’s eyebrows and the kipper’s knickers. Most enjoyed a brief sparkle before disappearing.

Their oddness attracted attention, but oddness alone wasn’t enough. An expression also needed a pleasing rhythm, an amusing picture and enough repetition to become familiar. The cat’s pyjamas offered all three. You can visualise it instantly, the sounds bounce neatly, and the meaning is clear from an enthusiastic voice even if you’ve never heard it before.

That balance between surprise and familiarity helps explain why some nonsense outlives sensible language.

Helga & Paul Smith

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SMUGGLE OWAD into a conversation today. Say something like:

“That little family-run hotel was the CAT’S PYJAMAS—quiet, welcoming and half the price of the big chains.”

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THANKS to Ute for suggesting today's OWAD!

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