This expression is often thought to be related not to live cats, but a cat o'nine tails - a vicious type of whip, typically used to discipline sailors. Boats aren't known for being roomy, and a sailor complaining about living in close quarters might be heard to remark "Shiver me timbers! There's not room to swing a cat in here. Aar." Or something of the sort.

Where does "Can't swing a dead cat without hitting one" come from? Monday, December 16, 2013 @ 9:14pm | Modified