CONCERNING CATS. 177 



Cat-sticks. -Thin legs ; compared to the thin sticks with 

 which boys play at cat (Grose). 



Catsup or ketchup. — A corruption of the Eastern name 

 of " Kitjap." Is then the syllable " cat " a pun on " kit " 

 or " kitten " (a young cat) ? Surely not. 



Cattaria. — Nip eta Caiaria. Mentha felina, the herb 

 cat-mint. 



Cattery. — A place where cats are kept, the ordinary 

 name when a person keeps a collection of cats. 



Cattish. — Having stealthy ways, slow and cautious in 

 movements, watchful. 



Catwater (Plymouth). — "This is a remarkable instance 

 of mistranslation. The castle at the mouth of the Plym 

 used to be called the Chateau ; but some one, thinking it 

 would be better to Anglicise the French, divided the word 

 into two parts : chat (cat), eau (water)." — Brewer's Dictionary 

 of Phrase and Fable. 



Catwhin. — Rosa spinosissima. Burnet is the name of 

 \h^ plant. 



Cat with tivo tails. — The earwig. Northumberland ; 

 Holloway. 



Gil cat. — A male cat; some say an old male. Nares 

 says, an expression exactly analogous to " Jack ass ; " the 

 one being formerly called '' Gil " or " Gilbert," as commonly 

 as the other " Jack." " Tom cat " is now the usual term, 

 and for a similar reason. " Tibert " is said to be the old 

 French for "Gilbert." From "Tibert," ^'Tib," "Tibby," 

 also was a common name for a cat. Wilkins, in his " Index 

 to Philosophical Language," has " Gil " (male) cat in the 

 same way as a male cat is called a " Tom " cat. In some 

 counties the cock fowl is called a " Tom." It is unknown 

 whence the origin of the latter term. 



Grimalkin. — Poetical name for a cat (Bailey). " Mawkin " 

 signifies a hare in Scotland (Grose). In Sussex a hare is 



