Home › Idioms

猫の額 (Neko no hitai)

Meaning: A very small space, especially of land.

Language: Japanese

Literally: A cat's forehead

Category: Animals

Origin: A cat's brow is tiny and narrow; Japanese speakers have long used it to describe a cramped garden or plot.

More idioms — Animals

  • Водить за нос (Vodit' za nos) — To deceive or string someone along.
  • Nem que a vaca tussa — No way; under no circumstances.
  • 亡羊补牢 (Wáng yáng bǔ láo) — It's not too late to act after a setback to prevent further loss.
  • Passer du coq à l'âne — To switch topics abruptly and illogically.
  • To bury your head in the sand — To refuse to face an obvious danger.
  • Die Kuh vom Eis holen — To resolve a precarious situation.

More Japanese idioms

  • 腹が黒い (hara ga kuroi) — Scheming and malicious behind a friendly face.
  • お茶を濁す (ocha o nigosu) — To dodge a question with a vague, evasive answer.
  • 朝飯前 (Asameshi mae) — A task so easy it can be done before eating.
  • 二階から目薬 (Nikai kara megusuri) — A roundabout effort that has no real effect.
  • 喉から手が出る (Nodo kara te ga deru) — To want something so badly you can hardly bear it.
  • 棚から牡丹餅 (Tana kara botamochi) — An unexpected stroke of good luck.

← Back to Idioms

Loading the full interactive collection…