Meaning of Idiom ‘Not Enough Room to Swing a Cat’
When there is not enough room to swing a cat there is very little space; no elbow room; cramped quarters; a confined space or a small room.
This expression may also refer to places that are crowded with people.
Sentence Examples
“I can’t stay in my uncle’s guest room anymore. There’s not enough room to swing a cat in there.”
“Well, I finally have my own office. There’s not enough room to swing a cat, but it’s mine!”
“I grew up in a small mobile home, although we called them trailers. There was barely enough room to swing a cat, but we made do.”
“A studio flat, they call it.” “It’s quite nice but, there’s hardly enough room to swing a cat and it’s pretty expensive.”— The Sum of Us (1994)
“Nice room, isn’t it?” “Yes.” “Ain’t room enough to swing a cat, though.” — Pilgrimage (1933)
Origin
Rather than referring to the absolutely horrible idea of swinging a cat by its tail, this idiom is most often said to refer to the infamous whip used on naval ships called the cat-o-nine-tail. Most sources date its first occurrence in print to 1771. The Oxford English Dictionary places it much earlier, in 1665, casting some doubt on the cat-o-nine-tails origin. Therefore, this idiom’s origin is uncertain.
