Cat Beer, Cat Hair, and Cat’s Face

Felines have inspired some picturesque terms. In parts of the Midwestern United States, the term cat beer can mean “milk.” The term cat hair is sometimes used as a synonym for “money,” and cat ice is “thin ice.” Cat face refers to the mark on a tomato freshly plucked from the vine. Cat’s face is also used for “a wrinkle or pucker in clothing that’s not ironed correctly.” In her book I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou writes of having to iron seven stiff starched shirts “and not leave a cat’s face anywhere.” This is part of a complete episode.