Show Curiosity Killed Cat Cat Taken From Old Saying The saying Curiosity killed the tho cat Is v believed to be a corruption of the older saying Care killed the cat eat It Is one of the sayings per per- perpetuated perpetua perpetuated petua ted more by sound than sense according to a writer In the Boston Herald A proverb known In Eng Eng- England England England land and Scotland from time immemorial Imme imme- Immemorial immemorial morial says that a cat has nine lives yet care will wear them out Hang sorrow lorrow care will kill a cat cat occurs in Christmas a poem written by bJ George Wither who died In 1667 The same line is attributed to Bea Johnson John Taylor and others This proverb probably referred originally originally originally to the fact tact that cats are fre tre- frequently frequently so petted and pampered that they sicken and die However cats cab cabare are not usually thought of as being especially curious curlo Why Care killed the cat caf was wu changed to Curiosity killed the cat caf catis catIs is a puzzling question One writer says a plausible explanation of this change Is found in the fact that one of the figurative senses of cat isa Is Isa Isa a human being who scratches like a cat particularly a spiteful or biting back woman woman |