cat's pyjamas

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Contents 1 English 1.1 Alternative spellings 1.2 Etymology 1.3 Noun 1.3.1 Synonyms 1.3.2 See also 1.4 References

[edit] English

[edit] Alternative spellings

• cat's pajamas (US)

[edit] Etymology

A slang phrase coined by Thomas A. Dorgan. The phrase became popular in the U.S. in the 1920s,^[1] along with the bee's knees, the cat's whiskers (possibly from the use of these in radio crystal sets). In the 1920s the word cat was used as a term to describe the unconventional flappers from the jazz era. This was combined with the word pyjamas (a relatively new fashion in the 1920s) to form a phrase used to describe something that is the best at what it does, thus making it highly sought and desirable. Similar phrases that didn't endure: the eel's ankle, the elephant's instep, and the snake's hip.^[2]

[edit] Noun

cat's pyjamas

1. (idiomatic) A highly sought-after and fancy example of something, usually referring to inanimate objects.
   • That new car was really the cat's pyjamas.

[edit] Synonyms

• the bee's knees
• the cat's meow
• dog's bollocks
• the mutt's nuts

[edit] See also

• "cat's pajamas" at Maven's Word of the Day, 2001-01-02

[edit] References

• Notes:

1. ^ http://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/index.pperl?date=20010102
2. ^ Mark Israel, 'Phrase Origins: "The bee's knees"' alt.usage.english FAQ file, http://alt-usage-english.org/excerpts/fxthebee.html