The first time I heard someone say 'there was no room to swing a cat,' I was indignant. The meaning was clear, but swing a cat? Who would want to do that? The speaker was UK returned and we thought he was trying to show off and there was no such idiom.

But I came across the idiom many times and realised that it was an expression commonly used by the English speaking people.

My Google search revealed these facts; it is used to describe confined space, as in 'his office space is so small there is no room to swing a cat'

First recorded instance was in 1770. It is supposed generally that the reference is to 'cat- o'-nine-tails', a whip with nine lashes widely used to punish offenders in the British Army. It was usually called as 'cat'. So the room is so small that one cannot swing the whip!

I was greatly relieved when I learned my darling cats were not ill treated!

Our feline darlings are found in many an English expressions. Some of them are-

Fat cat- a negative moniker for a rich powerful person

like a cat on hot bricks-nervous or neurotic behaviour

like a cat that's got the cream-very pleased with oneself

let the cat out of the bag--reveal a secret inadvertantly

play a cat and mouse game- a pursued-pursuer relationship

set a cat among the pigeons -to do or say something that is likely to cause trouble

I could not find the origins of these. But their meanings are more or less self explanatory, especially if you are a cat lover!

Thank you, Helen for this challenge. I was very happy to learn that the cat in 'No room to swing a cat' is a whip.