put the cat among the pigeons

English

Alternative forms

• set the cat among the pigeons

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU)

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Verb

put the cat among the pigeons (third-person singular simple present puts the cat among the pigeons, present participle putting the cat among the pigeons, simple past and past participle put the cat among the pigeons)

1. (figuratively) To cause alarm, fuss, or agitation.
   • 1994 September 19, The Times:

     Professor Stephen Hawking put the cat among the pigeons last week with his cheery remarks about comet Machholz-2, which some astronomers believe could be heading our way.

   • 2023 September 2, Simon Schama, “The real Rino”, in FT Weekend, Life & Arts, page 2:

     In any event, this professorial detonation, especially coming as it does from hardline Federalist Society constitutional originalists, has set the cat among the Republican pigeons.

Translations

Translations

• Dutch: de knuppel in het hoenderhok gooien
• Finnish: herättää huolta
• French: jeter un pavé dans la mare (fr), enfermer le loup dans la bergerie (fr)
• Polish: wsadzać kij w mrowisko impf, wsadzić kij w mrowisko pf

See also

• flutter in the dovecote

References

• Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, Cassell, 1996