# What fer? . . Cat fur etc.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fer-cat-fur-etc/126508>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 1, 2002, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fer-cat-fur-etc/126508 "2002-09-01T02:35:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2002, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fer-cat-fur-etc/126508/1 "2002-09-01T02:35:33Z")

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When I was growing up in Missouri in the 70’s my aunt “Bill” lived with us for a while.

Aunt Bill: “Go out to the garden and git me some taters.”

Me: “What fer?”

Aunt Bill: "Cat fur, to make a pair of kitten britches! Now just go do it.

My question is this. Has anyone else ever heard this “Cat fur…” saying before or is it something that she just said. I’d just like to know how widespread it is or was. For background information the family was from northeast Missouri (Pike county) and She was born about 1920 or so.

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**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2002, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fer-cat-fur-etc/126508/2 "2002-09-01T02:39:49Z")

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My MIL says it, and she was born and raised on a farm in Huron County, Michigan (that’s the Thumb, north of Detroit).

But her version goes, “Cat’s fur t’make kitten britches”, which I think is snappier.

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**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2002, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fer-cat-fur-etc/126508/3 "2002-09-01T02:41:12Z")

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Oh, and she’s in her late sixties, so that makes it…1930s, 1940s?

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**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2002, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fer-cat-fur-etc/126508/4 "2002-09-01T14:37:31Z")

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One of my mother’s favorites. Raised in north central PA in a town built by German immigrants. I think it’s pretty widespread.

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**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2002, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fer-cat-fur-etc/126508/5 "2002-09-01T14:50:12Z")

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The Mavens’ Word of the Day:

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> Although hard evidence is lacking, the expression cat’s fur to make kitten britches seems to date back to the nineteenth century. It isn’t specifically associated with any region of the country.