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 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

1. (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

• gå som katten omkring varm grød