Meanings
phrase
- humorousidiomaticWhy is someone not saying anything?
Why won't you tell me that secret? (Has the) cat got your tongue?
1 more example
You used to be alright / What happened? / Did the cat get your tongue? / Did your string come undone?
2007, “15 Step”, in In Rainbows, performed by Radiohead
Translations
Catalan que se t’ha menjat la llengua el gat?
- que se t’ha menjat la llengua el gat?why are you not saying anything?
Chinese Mandarin 你成了啞巴了嗎？ /你成了哑巴了吗？
- 你成了啞巴了嗎？ /你成了哑巴了吗？ (nǐ chéng le yǎba le ma?)why are you not saying anything?
Dutch ben je je tong verloren?
- ben je je tong verloren?why are you not saying anything?
Finnish veikö kissa kielesi?
- veikö kissa kielesi?why are you not saying anything?
French tu as perdu ta langue, tu as donné ta langue au chat
- tu as perdu ta languewhy are you not saying anything?
- tu as donné ta langue au chatwhy are you not saying anything?
German hast du die Sprache verloren?, haben Sie die Sprache verloren?
- hast du die Sprache verloren?why are you not saying anything?
- haben Sie die Sprache verloren?why are you not saying anything?
Hungarian elvitte a cica a nyelved?
- elvitte a cica a nyelved?why are you not saying anything?
Irish ar chaill tú do theanga?
- ar chaill tú do theanga?why are you not saying anything?
Italian il gatto ti ha mangiato la lingua?
- il gatto ti ha mangiato la lingua?why are you not saying anything?
Polish zapominać języka w gębie, zapomnieć języka w gębie
- zapominać języka w gębiewhy are you not saying anything?
- zapomnieć języka w gębiewhy are you not saying anything?
Portuguese o gato comeu sua língua
- o gato comeu sua línguawhy are you not saying anything?
Romanian ți-a mâncat pisica limba?
- ți-a mâncat pisica limba?why are you not saying anything?
Russian язы́к проглоти́ла?, язы́к проглоти́ли?
- язы́к проглоти́ла? (jazýk proglotíla?)why are you not saying anything?
- язы́к проглоти́ли? (jazýk proglotíli?)why are you not saying anything?
Slovak stratil si reč?
- stratil si reč?why are you not saying anything?
Spanish ¿te ha comido la lengua el gato?
- ¿te ha comido la lengua el gato?why are you not saying anything?
Swedish förlora/tappa talförmågan
- förlora/tappa talförmåganwhy are you not saying anything?
Turkish dilini mi yuttun?, dilinizi mi yuttunuz?
- dilini mi yuttun?why are you not saying anything?
- dilinizi mi yuttunuz?why are you not saying anything?
Cite this entry
APA
cat got someone's tongue. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cat%20got%20someone's%20tongue
MLA
“cat got someone's tongue.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cat%20got%20someone's%20tongue. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cat got someone's tongue,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cat%20got%20someone's%20tongue.
Source: cat got someone's tongue on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.