猫に鰹節

Japanese

Kanji in this term
猫	鰹	節
ねこ Grade: S	かつお Hyōgaiji	ふし > ぶし Grade: 4
kun’yomi

Alternative spelling
猫に鰹節 (kyūjitai)

Etymology

Literally a “cat in skipjack tuna flakes”.

Idiom

猫(ねこ)に鰹(かつお)節(ぶし) • (neko ni katsuobushi) 

1. setting a wolf to mind the sheep; fox in the henhouse