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Elaina.C 講師のコラム

Idiom: Curiosity Killed the Cat

2017年5月16日

Curiosity killed the cat is an English idiom used to warn people to stop being so curious or they could get hurt, or to stop someone asking unwanted questions.

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Where did this idiom come from??

Everyone knows that cats are extremely curious animals. So curious that sometimes they get themselves into trouble or hurt or worse, killed. 

The original phrase was "care killed the cat," used in 1598 by the English playwright Ben Johnson in Every Man in his Humour. ("Helter skelter, hang sorrow, care'll kill a Cat, up-tails all, and a Louse for the Hangman")  In this case, the usage of care meant worry or sorrow, instead of to care for or provide for. 

The earliest usage of its current form ('curiosity killed the cat' instead of 'care killed the cat') was used in 1898 by The Galveston Daily News.

A common thing added to this idiom was ".. but satisfaction brought it back". 

Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back. This does not mean the same thing as the original first half.

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How to use this idiom in daily conversation??

1. My boss warned me that curiosity killed the cat after I kept asking him to tell me why he fired his last employee.

2. Amanda: "Hey, I wonder what's in that abandoned building. It looks super creepy!!"

Bobby: "Let's not find out. Curiosity killed the cat.

3. When Mary kept asking Tom where he went last night, he told her that curiosity killed the cat.

4. Mark was very curious about where Samantha was getting all her money from, but all she said was "curiosity killed the cat."

5. Jamie refused to answer any of his mother's questions regarding where he was the entire weekend, saying only "curiosity killed the cat."

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If you're interested in learning more idioms and how to use them, take a look at my idiom lesson!! We will go over several different idioms, their meanings, and how to use them.

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Have a great day!!

Elaina.C :)

**If you have any questions about this blog's vocabulary or phrases, please comment or send me a message and I'll answer as soon as I can :)

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