cat's meow
LowInformal, slang
Definition
Meaning
Something or someone considered excellent, wonderful, or very impressive.
A dated slang expression indicating the height of fashion, desirability, or excellence; often used ironically or nostalgically.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a humorous or ironic idiom. It is a simile (like the cat's meow) that became a noun phrase. Strongly associated with 1920s-1930s flapper culture. Modern use is often self-consciously retro.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Much more established and recognized in American English. In British English, it is understood but less idiomatic; 'cat's whiskers' or 'bee's knees' are more traditional equivalents.
Connotations
In AmE: nostalgic, quaint, sometimes sarcastic. In BrE: perceived as an Americanism.
Frequency
Rare in contemporary speech in both varieties, but more likely to be encountered in AmE in period pieces or ironic usage.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] + be + the cat's meowthink + [Direct Object] + be + the cat's meowVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “the bee's knees”
- “the cat's pajamas”
- “the dog's bollocks (vulgar BrE)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Extremely rare; possibly in informal marketing to sound playful or retro (e.g., 'Our new software is the cat's meow!').
Academic
Virtually never used.
Everyday
Used humorously among friends or family to praise something in an old-fashioned way.
Technical
Not used.
Examples
By Part of Speech
adjective
American English
- He had a real cat's-meow attitude about the whole project. (rare, extended)
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My grandma says her new radio is the cat's meow.
- In the 1920s, a new car was considered the cat's meow.
- She thought her vintage dress was the absolute cat's meow at the themed party.
- Though he presented his business plan as the cat's meow, the investors remained skeptical of its viability.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a very smug, well-dressed cat from the 1920s giving a proud MEOW, as if to say, 'I am the height of fashion.'
Conceptual Metaphor
EXCELLENCE IS A PLEASING ANIMAL SOUND/VOCALIZATION.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct translation "кошачье мяуканье" as it loses idiomatic meaning and sounds literal/nonsensical.
- The phrase expresses subjective high praise, not an objective description of a sound.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'cat's meow' to describe an actual cat's vocalization.
- Using it in formal contexts.
- Incorrect possessives: 'cats meow' (missing apostrophe).
Practice
Quiz
In which context would 'the cat's meow' be LEAST appropriate?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is rarely used in sincere praise. Modern use is almost always humorous, ironic, or deliberately old-fashioned.
The closest traditional equivalents are 'the bee's knees' and 'the cat's whiskers,' though 'the dog's bollocks' (vulgar) is a stronger modern slang equivalent.
Yes, it can describe a person who is considered excellent, impressive, or very fashionable (e.g., 'He thinks he's the cat's meow').
It functions as a noun phrase, typically as a subject complement following a linking verb like 'is' or 'was'.