Definitions
Sorry, no definitions found. Check out and contribute to the discussion of this word!
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
Support
Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word cat in pan.
Examples
Sorry, no example sentences found.
Gammerstang commented on the word cat in pan
(adjective) - To turn cat in pan is a proverbial expression signifying a changing of sides in religion or politics. It has been suggested that it should be cate, the old word for cake, which being baked and consequently turned in the pan aptly elucidates the meaning of the proverb. --William Toone's Etymological Dictionary of Obsolete Words, 1832
February 6, 2018