the cat has got her tongue
she doesn't want to speak
TRANSLATION
die Sprache verlieren
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
"Mr. Jim Abbott (Kootenay‹Columbia, Canadian Alliance): Mr. Speaker,... It is very interesting that the heritage minister does not seem to be particularly silent when it comes to talking about the health minister. I wonder if she could talk about this particular report. Does she agree or does she not agree that the foreign ownership restrictions should be lowered, yes or no? Or has THE CAT GOT HER TONGUE?"
(HANSARD - Parliamentary Debates - 30th April 2003)
(HANSARD - Parliamentary Debates - 30th April 2003)
Did you
know?
Some German-English idioms are very similar, others are quite different.
Note these wonderful catty phrases:
- to let the cat out of the bag = die Katze aus dem Sack lassen
- they fight like cat and dog = die sind or die vertragen sich wie Hund und Katze
- to play a cat-and-mouse game with somebody = mit jdm Katz und Maus spielen
- when or while the cat's away the mice will play = wenn die Katze aus dem Haus ist, tanzen die Mäuse
- there isn't room to swing a cat = man kann sich nicht rühren (, so eng ist es)
- a cat may look at a king (proverbial) = es wird doch noch erlaubt sein zu gucken!
- to be like a cat on hot bricks or to be like a cat on a hot tin roof = wie auf glühenden Kohlen sitzen
- to look like the cat that got the cream = sich freuen wie ein Schneekönig
- that's put the cat among the pigeons! = da hast du aber was (Schönes) angerichtet!
- he thinks he's the cat's whiskers = er hält sich für wer weiß was
- he doesn't have a cat in hell's chance of winning = er hat nicht die geringste Chance zu gewinnen
- has the cat got your tongue? = du hast wohl die Sprache verloren?
- cat-o'-nine-tails = neunschwänzige Katze (Peitsche)
- cat = caterpillar tractor (Raupe)
And if you are a real cat fan, check out Glenda Moore's wonderful list of "CAT-PHRASES" at:
http://www.owad.de/link.php4?go=030905
Note these wonderful catty phrases:
- to let the cat out of the bag = die Katze aus dem Sack lassen
- they fight like cat and dog = die sind or die vertragen sich wie Hund und Katze
- to play a cat-and-mouse game with somebody = mit jdm Katz und Maus spielen
- when or while the cat's away the mice will play = wenn die Katze aus dem Haus ist, tanzen die Mäuse
- there isn't room to swing a cat = man kann sich nicht rühren (, so eng ist es)
- a cat may look at a king (proverbial) = es wird doch noch erlaubt sein zu gucken!
- to be like a cat on hot bricks or to be like a cat on a hot tin roof = wie auf glühenden Kohlen sitzen
- to look like the cat that got the cream = sich freuen wie ein Schneekönig
- that's put the cat among the pigeons! = da hast du aber was (Schönes) angerichtet!
- he thinks he's the cat's whiskers = er hält sich für wer weiß was
- he doesn't have a cat in hell's chance of winning = er hat nicht die geringste Chance zu gewinnen
- has the cat got your tongue? = du hast wohl die Sprache verloren?
- cat-o'-nine-tails = neunschwänzige Katze (Peitsche)
- cat = caterpillar tractor (Raupe)
And if you are a real cat fan, check out Glenda Moore's wonderful list of "CAT-PHRASES" at:
http://www.owad.de/link.php4?go=030905
