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No Room to Swing a Cat
In other words 'a small space'. The term may have derived from the British
Navy but the origin is unclear.
We received these emails from site visitors:
Email 1: Correct it comes from the British navy. It arises from the punishment
of flogging with the "cat o' nine tails" since if sailor to
be punished by beating with a nine tailed whip was tied in a confine area
there would be no room to "swing a cat" and give the punishment
Email 2:
No room to swing a cat: is another reference to the cat o' nine tails and not having the room to properly swing it into use.
Email 3: "No room to swing a cat
In other words 'a small space'. The term may have derived from the British Navy but the origin is unclear".
Email 4: this most likely refers to Swinging a cat-o-nine tails. In a very enclosed space a person couldn't get a proper swing. This also explains the phrase "can't swing a dead cat without hitting something". As a side note, another phrase, letting the cat out of the bag, is of similiar origin. Letting the cat out of the bag means something bad is happening. The cat-o-nine tails was usually kept in a bag, and when the "cat came out of the bag" it meant someone was about to have a bad day.
Email 5: The “Cat” was the “Cat of nine tails” used to flog sailors.
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