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cat got one's tongue

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cat got one's tongue

A comment made when someone is unaccountably or unusually quiet, as in We haven't heard from you all morning-has the cat got your tongue? Often put as a question, this term originally was used mainly with a child who did something wrong and refused to answer any questions. Today it is used more generally to ask anyone to speak. [Mid-1800s]

See also: cat, tongue