Way back in 2021, I Slang-o-rama'd (how's that for a verb??) about the cat's pajamas. I believe a post on the cat's meow is a tad overdue. Let's rectify that now.
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According to Merriam-Webster, the cat's meow is "a highly admired person or thing," with the first known use being in 1921. Boy, I'd sure like to know what that first appearance was... That being said, I was so pleased to then find this phrase in the online Green's Dictionary of Slang, which is a marvelous reference for this kind of thing. Sure enough, they note that, according to Leonard Zwilling's "A TAD Lexicon. Etymology and Linguistic Principles: V.3," (1993) San Francisco cartoonist Tad (T.A.) Dorgan wrote "Some party. Some home made hooch. — Gee — I feel like the cat’s meow." I'd sure love to see THAT cartoon!
Green's Dictionary also offers a gaggle of slangy synonyms—cat’s tonsillitis, duck’s quack, elephant’s tonsils, pig’s scream, sparrow’s chirp—and examples. If you're curious, check out the entry here.
In the meantime, here is a photo of... yes... a cat's meow.
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