to swing a cat

to swing a cat
«Качать кошку». Cat в этом контексте означает кошку, ременную плеть, состоящую из нескольких хвостов (cat o' (= of) nine tails). На кораблях кошками наказывали моряков. Наказание совершалось на палубе, так как в трюме было мало места. Выражение there's no room to swing a cat (негде повернуться) относится к очень узкой комнате, тесному помещению.

I don't like Nina's flat. There's no room to swing a cat. — Мне не нравится квартира Нины. Там негде повернуться.

По другой версии, слово cat в Шотландии значит жулик, мошенник, и to swing a cat значит повесить жулика (имеется в виду виселица).

English-Russian dictionary of expressions. 2014.

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Смотреть что такое "to swing a cat" в других словарях:

  • not room to swing a cat — (not) room to swing a cat informal if there is not room to swing a cat in a place, that place is very small. There isn t room to swing a cat in the third room, it s so tiny. Get a sofa in the living room? You ll be lucky there isn t room to swing …   New idioms dictionary

  • room to swing a cat — (not) room to swing a cat informal if there is not room to swing a cat in a place, that place is very small. There isn t room to swing a cat in the third room, it s so tiny. Get a sofa in the living room? You ll be lucky there isn t room to swing …   New idioms dictionary

  • no room to swing a cat — no (or not) room to swing a cat humorous used in reference to a very confined space Origin: cat in the sense ‘cat o nine tails’ * * * no room to swing a ˈcat idiom (informal) when sb says there s no room to swing a cat, they mea …   Useful english dictionary

  • not enough room to swing a cat — If a room is very small, you can say that there isn t enough room to swing a cat in it …   The small dictionary of idiomes

  • no (or not) room to swing a cat — humorous used in reference to a very confined space. [cat in the sense cat o nine tails .] → room …   English new terms dictionary

  • no room to swing a cat — ► no room to swing a cat humorous a very confined space. [ORIGIN: cat in the sense «cat o nine tails».] Main Entry: ↑room …   English terms dictionary

  • room to swing a cat — A minimum of space • • • Main Entry: ↑cat …   Useful english dictionary

  • not enough room to swing a cat — noun very little space (available) They had not space enough (according to the vulgar saying) to swing a Cat in. Syn: confined, cramped, tiny …   Wiktionary

  • not enough room to swing a cat —    If a room is very small, you can say that there isn t enough room to swing a cat in it.   (Dorking School Dictionary) …   English Idioms & idiomatic expressions

  • so small you could barely swing a cat — very small room, narrow room, pokey    The bedroom was so small you could barely swing a cat in it …   English idioms

  • Not enough room to swing a cat —   If a room is very small, you can say that there isn t enough room to swing a cat in it …   Dictionary of English idioms


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