gå som katten kring het gröt
Swedish
FWOTD – 26 January 2015
Etymology
The literal meaning is "to walk like the cat around hot porridge". The first attestation is from 1641 (see reference to Svenska Akademiens ordbok below). Compare with expressions like vara het på gröten, "to be eager/impatient about something" (literally: "to be hot on the porridge").
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɡoː sɔm ˈkatːɛn krɪŋ heːt ˈɡrøːt/
Verb
gå som katten kring het gröt
- (idiomatic) To avoid speaking or acting directly about something; to beat around the bush; to pussyfoot.
- 1641, Svenska riksrådets protokoll[1]
- I gå som een katt kring om gröten.
- (literally) "You walk like a cat around (the) porridge."
- 1641, Svenska riksrådets protokoll[1]
Usage notes
The head of the expression is gå, "walk". Gå can also be exchanged for verbs like smyga ("to sneak; to creep") or tassa ("to tip-toe"). It's also possible to render it without an active verb in sentences like Hon var som katten kring het gröt, literally: "she was like the cat around hot porridge".
Conjugation
Conjugation of gå
| Active | Passive | |
|---|---|---|
| Infinitive | gå | - |
| Present tense | går | - |
| Past tense | gick | - |
| Supine | gått | - |
| Imperative | gå | - |
| Present participle | gående | |
| Past participle | gången | |
References
- Svenska Akademiens ordbok G 1228