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gå som katten kring het gröt. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
gå som katten kring het gröt, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
gå som katten kring het gröt in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
gå som katten kring het gröt you have here. The definition of the word
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gå som katten kring het gröt, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Swedish
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 heta på gröten, "to be eager/impatient about something" (literally: "to be hot on the porridge").
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɡoː sɔm ˈkatːɛn krɪŋ heːt ˈɡrøːt/
Phrase
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
I gå som een katt kring om gröten.- Ye walk like a cat around the porridge.
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
See gå.
See also
References