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Meaning & use

getting cat called

phrase·Advancedinformal

Last updated

UK/ˌɡetɪŋ ˈkæt kɔːld/
US/ˌɡetɪŋ ˈkæt kɔːld/

Meanings

  1. phraseidiominformal

    Being whistled at or spoken to in a sexual way by a stranger in public.

    Grammar: An informal -ing phrase used as a subject or after verbs like 'hate' or 'keep': She hates getting cat called.

    Patterns

    • getting cat called on the street
    • keep getting cat called
    • hate getting cat called

    She said she was getting cat called almost every day on her way to work.

    Getting cat called made him feel unsafe, even in daylight.

    They talked about getting cat called as a form of street harassment.

  2. phraseidiominformaldisapproving

    The act of shouting a rude comment at someone because of how they look, usually a woman.

    Grammar: Often used with 'experience' or 'report': many women report getting cat called.

    Patterns

    • experience getting cat called
    • report getting cat called

    The survey asked women whether they had experienced getting cat called.

    Getting cat called is now illegal in some cities.

Common combinations

getting cat called on the street
She wrote about getting cat called on the street near her home.
constantly getting cat called
He was constantly getting cat called when he wore a skirt.
stop getting cat called
The campaign wants women to stop getting cat called at work.
getting cat called by strangers
Getting cat called by strangers can feel threatening.

Synonyms and how they differ

street harassment
A more formal, neutral term that covers catcalling and other unwanted public behavior.
wolf-whistling
Names only the whistling part, while 'getting cat called' can include spoken comments too.

Word family

catcall noun
A whistle or rude shout aimed at someone in public.
catcall verb
To make such a whistle or shout: They catcalled her from the car.
catcalling noun
The activity of making catcalls; the noun form of the phrase.

Commonly confused: getting cat called or calling a cat? getting cat called or cattle call?

getting cat called vs calling a cat

This means trying to get a cat's attention. 'Getting cat called' is about harassment, not animals.

getting cat called vs cattle call

An open audition where many performers are seen at once; it sounds similar but means something completely different.

Practice

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