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What does cat mean when used to refer to a man? https://youtu.be/7iOxJ60rIqo?t=25 It's a clip of a film "X-Men: First Class" In front of the two men, the woman says "You cats know it's double for both, right?" Why does she refer the men as cats? I also heard it used in a movie titled Dawn of the Dead. A man sees a tattoo of a cross on another man's left arm and he says to the man with the tattoo, "You're the type of cat that goes to church and all that kind of shit, right?" Is it an insulting way to call a man?
Apr 25, 2019 3:17 PM
Answers · 3
2
No, it's not insulting. It's an old-fashioned slang word for a man. I believe it comes from the 1930s, used to refer to jazz and swing musicians. That's why you'll usually hear it in the phrase "a cool cat" - someone who's stylish and cool, usually in a retro style.
April 25, 2019
New Oxford American Dictionary cat 2 informal, chiefly North American (particularly among jazz enthusiasts) a person, especially a man.
April 25, 2019
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