cat's meow
Really something special
The cat's meow is something or someone considered excellent or stylish—the very best of its kind.
The expression dates to 1920s American slang, when fanciful animal phrases (the bee's knees, the snake's hips) conveyed fashionable approval.
Now somewhat dated or deliberately retro: She thinks she's the cat's meow.
- top-notchOf superior quality
- niftyCleverly effective
- cream of the cropThe very best
- crème de la crèmeThe absolute best
- gemPolished precious stone
spiffy · masterpiece · swell · peachy · gold standard · exemplar · purring · keen · ace · epitome · treasure · whiskers · hallmark · ritzy · copacetic · high-caliber · first-rate · top drawer
- American slangbamboozle, bogus, bunkum, conniption, discombobulate
- vintage slangbee's knees, copacetic, groovy, hep, hepcat
- Cat Lorefamiliar, familiars, nine lives, Bastet, werecat
- idiomstime flies, hit the sack, seize the day, ring a bell, break a leg
- Old-timey exclamationsgolly, gee whiz, jeepers, gadzooks, fiddlesticks
- ProhibitionProhibition, speakeasies, bootlegger, bootleggers, speakeasy
cat's meowthe pits
Utterly awful, slangily
the worst · bottom of the barrel · garbage · trash · dreck
cat's meowrepulsive
Causing strong disgust
revolting · unappealing · off-putting · nothing to write home about · forgettable
cat's meownothing to write home about
Unworthy of special mention
run-of-the-mill · dime a dozen · mediocrity · ordinary · average Joe