en katt bland hermelinerna

Swedish

Etymology

From the 1966 cuplé of the same name by Swedish theater director, writer and actor Karl Gerhard. Literally, "a cat among the ermines".

Idiom

en katt bland hermelinerna

1. (possibly derogatory) About a person who is among people of a higher social class than themselves, or otherwise being in a group where they do not fit in.
   • 1997, Marie Louise Andersén, Bo Gösta Hall, Olof Holm, Torkel Stålmarck, “Djurgården – Haga – Ulriksdal”, in Bellman var där. En vägvisare till Bellmansmiljöer‎^[1], page 164:

     Att han var en katt bland hermelinerna vid hovet fick Bellman känna av på olika sätt.

     That he was a cat among the ermines at the royal court, Bellman felt in different ways.

   • 2017 February 26, Magnus Sundholm, “En katt bland hermelinerna [A cat among the ermines]”, in Aftonbladet‎^[2]:

     Det verkar som om gubben mådde bättre av att vara underdog. Jag har hela tiden sagt att han varit en katt bland hermelinerna.

     It seems like the old man felt better about being an underdog. I have always said that he was a cat among the ermines.