Cat Got Your Tongue?

Have you ever been in a situation where you wanted to say something, but your brain couldn't come up with something to say? Maybe the cat had your tongue.
This phrase is usually used in question form, as in: "Cat got your tongue?" It is probably a shortened form of "Has the cat gotten your tongue?" And it means that you don't know what to say.
While the origin of this phrase is uncertain, it may have come from the ancient Egyptians or a weapon.
The ancient Egyptians would feed the tongues of liars to cats. Cats were sacred to the ancient Egyptians. One of their gods was half cat, Bastet. So, the tongues of liars and blasphemers would be given to nearby cats, perhaps as an offering to Bastet. The punishment would make speaking quite difficult. So, if the cats had (ate) your tongue, you would be forced into silence.
Similarly, the British Royal Navy would use a cat o’ nine tails to silence people. A cat o’ nine tails was a whipping weapon used to punish crew members that didn't follow orders. They would be hit with the cat o’ nine tails until they were silent. In this case the cat o’ nine tails would figuratively have their tongue.
Although the origin may have been sinister, the modern use of the phrase is quite light hearted. It can be used to tease someone who is having difficulty answering a question.

"Where do you want to eat tonight?"
"umm...."
"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?"

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