Cats mother?

[Dueanamechange2025]

On the back of another post, what does ‘whose she, the cats mother’ actually mean?

I understand it’s rude, and had the above saying say to me as a child and admit have said it a few times as an adult to my children but on reflection, I don’t actually know what it means.

Also, why is it only she that is rude and not he?

have said it a few times as an adult to my children but on reflection, I don’t actually know what it means.

Surely you have some idea of what it means in context... in terms of the message you're trying to say to your children about using proper names for adults?

Or did you just say it completely randomly, in which case....?!!

It's rude to say she rather than use their name or title if its mam I think. No idea why it doesn't apply to he though

Of course I used it in context of them saying 'she told me x &y' when I am across the room and would prefer to be called 'mum' then 'she'.

What I mean is, why the cats mother, that on reflection makes no sense to me. Add then that its not rude to say, he said rather than she said and I don't really understand.

It’s believed to derive from the archaic usage of “she-cat” for a female cat, combined with the association of women being “catty”, thus children being rebuked at calling somebody “she” and said reference to the cat’s mother. There are several examples from nineteenth century novels and children’s stories which seem to support this origin.

I am quite happy to be the cat's "mother"😻

so a female adult cat is a she-cat
so she is then short for she cat

I see what you mean, why cats mother? Why not dogs mother or cows mother? I guess it’s like ‘a plate of chopped liver’. Someone used it to start with and it stuck.

I have never heard of the 'plate of chopped liver'

Interesting thanks!

a plate of chopped liver used to be served alongside meals.
a plate of chopped liver is sort of meaning second best, unimportant

It’s used when someone overlooks you. Which makes sense with this idea of a side dish.

Thanks both! Honestly never heard that one.