cat’s meat, n. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

cat’s meat n.

also catsmeat

[the lungs and similar animal intestines are used for cat’s and dog’s meat]

1. the human lungs; occas. the body (see cite 1835).

1812		Mr. Lawson ‘Chaunt’ in Egan Boxiana I 477: No tainted Miller could he stand / Right sound must be his Cat’s meat.
1821		J. Burrowes Life in St George’s Fields 10: As he is very full of glib, you must let him have all the jaw-work to himself, and give a holiday to your cat’s meat.
1835		G. Kent Modern Flash Dict. 9: Cat’s meat – the constitution, the body.
1848		Flash Dict. in Sinks of London Laid Open.
1855		(con. 1839) Fights for the Championship 146: The Deaf ’Un again coughed—His ‘cat’s meat’ was clearly out of trim.
1864, 1867, 1870		Hotten Sl. Dict. 96: Cat’s-meat a coarse term for the lungs ? the ‘lights’ or lungs of animals being usually sold to feed cats.
1873		Sl. Dict.
1908		Worker (Brisbane) 19 Sept. 8/2: He’s fixed it all up with old Roosty, you bet yer (blanky) cat’s meat.

2. the vagina.

1836		in Cockchafer 3: [song title] Cat’s-Meat Nell.
1837		‘My Black Cat Is Pleased When I Stroke It’ in Flash Olio in Spedding & Watt (eds) Bawdy Songbooks (2011) III 190: So let those who may chance to be stronger / For gay pussey’s stale cats-meat now pay.
1890–1904		Farmer & Henley Sl. and Its Analogues.

3. (mainly juv.) a meat pie.

1898		Boy’s Own Paper 10 Dec. 168: Not a remark was heard at the meal about cat’s meat or ditch water.
1959		I. & P. Opie Lore and Lang. of Schoolchildren (1977) 183: A meat pie is ‘cat’s meat’.

4. (N.Z.) in fig. use, a term of dismissal or derogation.

[1858		Colonist (NZ) 23 Nov. 3/5: He presumed the literary dunghill which produced low persons, low minds, low tastes and low habits, had produced the hash of catsmeat to which the member for Richmond had alluded].
1899		Eve. Post (NZ) 2 Dec. 2/5: Right, cockey, I’m only waiting for buller and some more of your cats-meat.
1908		Otago Witness 4 Mar. 90/4: He had collared the leaders, who were mere cat’s-meat in comparison with this smashing thoroughbred son of the Cossacks.
1923		P. MacGill Moleskin Joe 42: That’s what you did, you elephant-stomacked sack of German cat’s-meat.
1932		‘William Hatfield’ Ginger Murdoch 70: ‘It would mean another week.’ ‘Make it a fortnight, with this cat’s meat,’ [a horse] said Ginger helpfully.
1962		‘Hori’ Half-gallon Jar 84: I sure got an ear bashing for being late, but I knew it was only cat’s meat to what I would get when I got home [DNZE].
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. 44: cat’s meat Anything of little significance. Mid C20.

cat’s meat gaff (n.) [gaff n.¹ (7)]

a hospital, usu. gynaecological.

1962		R. Cook Crust on its Uppers 58: She’s in the cat’s-meat gaff havin’ an ovary out.
1984		‘Derek Raymond’ He Died with His Eyes Open 56: I was in the cats meat gaff a year back for my piles.

cat’s meat pusher (n.)

a street-seller of cooked horsemeat, presumably as petfood.

1909

cat’s meat shop (n.) (also cat’s meat stall)

(UK Und.) a restaurant.

1835		G. Kent Modern Flash Dict. 9: Cat’s meat shop – an eating house.
1848		Flash Dict. in Sinks of London Laid Open.
1852		Kendal Mercury 3 Apr. 6/2: Ye should [...] twig him spreading his legs when he’s hooking it with a duea [sic] of darbies (sausages) from a cat’s-meat-shop (eating house) .
1861		J. Hollingshead Ragged London 123: A cats’-meat shop, where the proprietors complained that they were not able ‘to get their money in’.
1893		R. Morton ‘O Lizer, Para-Lizer’ 🎵 She was a potman at a cat’s-meat stall.