🗓️ Idiom: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (idiom)
💬 Meaning
- To be extremely nervous, restless, or unable to relax.
- To move or behave in an anxious way because of stress or tension.
🧠 Example Sentences
- She’s been like a cat on a hot tin roof all week, waiting for the results of her performance review.
- He was pacing around the office like a cat on a hot tin roof before his big presentation.
- I feel like a cat on a hot tin roof whenever I have too much on my plate at work.
🏛️ Origin
The idiom comes from the image of a cat trying to stand on a hot metal roof — constantly moving and unable to stay still. It became well known after Tennessee Williams used it as the title of his 1955 play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, where the phrase reflected emotional tension and anxiety.
📝 Practice Exercises
1. Fill in the blank:
I’ve been like a ___________ all morning waiting for the client to call back.
Answer
cat on a hot tin roof
2. Choose the correct answer:
If someone is “like a cat on a hot tin roof,” they are:
a) Calm and relaxed
b) Nervous and restless
c) Confident and focused
Answer
b) Nervous and restless
3. Change the sentence using “cat on a hot tin roof”:
“I couldn’t sit still while waiting for the final decision.”
Answer
I was like a cat on a hot tin roof waiting for the final decision.
ℹ️ Other Useful Pages
📚 Learning Resources
👉 Stress Management Idioms
👉 Business English Idioms List
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Rob is a CELTA qualified English teacher with 15 years of international experience. He has a BSc and PGDip from Loughborough and St Andrews universities in the UK. He has taught in Thailand and Saudi Arabia and now works with professionals worldwide.
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