# Where does the phrase "Cat's Pajamas" come from?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-phrase-cats-pajamas-come-from/2961>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 1, 1999, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-phrase-cats-pajamas-come-from/2961 "1999-09-01T19:02:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Damien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@Damien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damien)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 1999, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-phrase-cats-pajamas-come-from/2961/1 "1999-09-01T19:02:00Z")

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A friend of mine started using it…and while I know it means good. I have no idea what it orginates from.  
-Damien

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**Author:** ![Alphagene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Alphagene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alphagene)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 1999, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-phrase-cats-pajamas-come-from/2961/2 "1999-09-01T19:16:00Z")

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I’ve often heard the phrase “cat’s ass” in the same context. Maybe PJ’s is the more genteel version. How they arrived at PJ’s… or even ass for that matter… is beyond me.

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**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 1999, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-phrase-cats-pajamas-come-from/2961/3 "1999-09-01T19:32:00Z")

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Sound’s like Dr. Seuss to me. Don’t know.  
I’ve heard it too.  
Peace.  
mangeorge

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 1999, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-phrase-cats-pajamas-come-from/2961/4 "1999-09-01T19:33:00Z")

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It was just a nonsense phrase popular in the 1920s. Others included the Bee’s Knees, the Eel’s Eyelashes, the Tadpole’s Tonsils, etc. There was a late-20s novelty song called “Sheba, Please Be Mine!” which used a whole lotta them.

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**Author:** ![Damien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@Damien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damien)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 1999, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-the-phrase-cats-pajamas-come-from/2961/5 "1999-09-01T19:46:00Z")

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And there I was thinking people may have once been making pajamas outta cats.

-Damien