What Does It Mean? Someone or something that is made of total and complete awesomeness. Where Does It Come From? A fairly modern saying, this one sprung up in 1920s America. It was fashionable around this period to combine an animal and a body part or clothing to refer to something that was just 'hotsy totsy' - see also 'the bee's knees,' 'the elephant's instep' and 'the caterpillar's kimono'. Yes, really... Specifically, the phrase 'the cat's pyjamas' can be traced back to women's fashions of the decade. The so called 'flapper girls' of the era would often be referred to as 'cats'; and at the same time, pyjamas were becoming popular items of clothing among women. Thus, the term was born...
Stephanie is a writer and free spirit who likes to pretend she's a Londoner, though strictly speaking she's from Watford. She likes books, music, elephants, and hairspray.
