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Not Enough Room to Swing a Cat (Origin)

What Is the Origin of the "Not Enough Room to Swing a Cat"?

homesitemapsayings & proverbs not enough room to swing a cat
This saying derives from the 16th Century, when sailors were punished by being whipped with a cat o' nine tails. Below deck, there was no room to yield the whip, so the punishment was administered on deck, which afforded sufficient room to swing the cat.
Not Enough Room to Swing a Cat (Origin)

How Do You Say "Not Enough Room to Swing a Cat"?

  • Not Enough Room to Swing a Cat

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More Examples of Use

  • You can't live here. There's not enough room to swing a cat.
  • There's not enough room to swing a cat in some flats in Central London.
  • I'd rather live in this old house than in one of those poky, new bungalows where there's no room to swing a cat.

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This page was written by Craig Shrives.

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