Nekojita etymology

[Wasabi]

Does anyone know how "cat tongue" - nekojita - comes to mean a dislike of
hot food? Apart from in 'nekoita' (fireside board) the neko kanji doesn't
otherwise seem to be used in words about heat.

[Ben Bullock]

Post by Wasabi
Does anyone know how "cat tongue" - nekojita - comes to mean a dislike
of hot food? Apart from in 'nekoita' (fireside board) the neko kanji
doesn't otherwise seem to be used in words about heat.

I had assumed it was because cats don't like hot food. However, I do not
know whether cats like hot food or not.

[Tsukino Usagi]

Post by Ben Bullock

Post by Wasabi
Does anyone know how "cat tongue" - nekojita - comes to mean a dislike
of hot food? Apart from in 'nekoita' (fireside board) the neko kanji
doesn't otherwise seem to be used in words about heat.

I had assumed it was because cats don't like hot food. However, I do not
know whether cats like hot food or not.

Just a wild guess, because cats like milk, and milk is associated with
babies and soft, tasteless food.

[Don Kirkman]

On Sun, 5 Feb 2012 02:25:35 +0000 (UTC), Ben Bullock

Post by Ben Bullock

Post by Wasabi
Does anyone know how "cat tongue" - nekojita - comes to mean a dislike
of hot food? Apart from in 'nekoita' (fireside board) the neko kanji
doesn't otherwise seem to be used in words about heat.

I had assumed it was because cats don't like hot food. However, I do not
know whether cats like hot food or not.

FWIW, my old Kenkyusha has a long list of neko-naninani entries, few
of them having anything to do with cats but all using the neko kanji.
My uneducated suspicion is that most are ateji for some ancient word
or phrase used in a lot of idioms.

[Adele Fletcher]

Post by Don Kirkman
On Sun, 5 Feb 2012 02:25:35 +0000 (UTC), Ben Bullock

Post by Ben Bullock

Post by Wasabi
Does anyone know how "cat tongue" - nekojita - comes to mean a dislike
of hot food? Apart from in 'nekoita' (fireside board) the neko kanji
doesn't otherwise seem to be used in words about heat.

I had assumed it was because cats don't like hot food. However, I do not
know whether cats like hot food or not.

FWIW, my old Kenkyusha has a long list of neko-naninani entries, few
of them having anything to do with cats but all using the neko kanji.
My uneducated suspicion is that most are ateji for some ancient word
or phrase used in a lot of idioms.
--
Don Kirkman

According to my Japanese dictionary (in Casio EX-Word Dataplus 4)the
phrase derives from the idea that cats dislike hot　(熱い) food.

In my experience cats will bat hot food (stolen fries etc) around on
the floor until it cools.

Adele Fletcher

[Wasabi]

This illustration probably doesn't shed much light on the subject but I
like it anyway: http://www.ne.jp/asahi/secret/label/japanese/soup.html

[a***@gmail.com]

According to my Japanese dictionary (in Casio EX-Word Dataplus 4)the phrase derives from the idea that cats dislike hot　(熱い) food.

In my experience cats will bat hot food (stolen fries etc) around on the floor until it cools.

[Bart Mathias]

On Tue, 7 Feb 2012 14:36:40 -0800 (PST)

Post by a***@gmail.com
According to my Japanese dictionary (in Casio EX-Word Dataplus 4)the phrase derives from the idea that cats dislike hot　(熱い) food.
In my experience cats will bat hot food (stolen fries etc) around on the floor until it cools.

That must be true. Adele Fletcher agrees with you word for word!
[ :-) ]

[Adele Fletcher]

Post by Bart Mathias
On Tue, 7 Feb 2012 14:36:40 -0800 (PST)

Post by a***@gmail.com
According to my Japanese dictionary (in Casio EX-Word Dataplus 4)the phrase derives from the idea that cats dislike hot　(熱い) food.
In my experience cats will bat hot food (stolen fries etc) around on the floor until it cools.

That must be true. Adele Fletcher agrees with you word for word!
[  :-)  ]
--

Yes, and both of me are having trouble with our group and email
settings :-)

Adele