when the cat's away

English

Etymology

An ellipsis (anapodoton) of when the cat's away, the mice will play.

Proverb

when the cat's away

1. Ellipsis of when the cat's away, the mice will play.

Translations

People take advantage of the absence of authority

• Arabic: please add this translation if you can:
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 天高皇帝遠／天高皇帝远 (zh) (tiān gāo huángdì yuǎn), 天高皇帝远 (zh) (tiāngāo huángdìyuǎn) ("The sky is high and the emperor far away")

• Czech: když je kocour pryč (elipsis of Když je kcour pryč, myši mají pré.)
• Dutch: als de kat van huis is
• Finnish: kun kissa on poissa
• French: quand le chat n’est pas là
• German: ist die Katze aus dem Haus
• Hindi: please add this translation if you can:
• Italian: please add this translation if you can:
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Japanese: please add this translation if you can:
• Korean: please add this translation if you can:
• Polish: please add this translation if you can:
• Portuguese: quando o gato não está
• Russian: без кота́ мыша́м раздо́лье (bez kotá myšám razdólʹje)
• Serbo-Croatian: где мачке нема
• Spanish: cuando el gato duerme, bailan los ratones
• Swedish: när katten är borta, dansar råttorna på bordet
• Vietnamese: please add this translation if you can:

See also

• Appendix:English examples of anapodoton