I don’t know what it is but I have always had a deep sense of curiosity. I was and still am that kid who say why…why…why? Last week this curiosity struck again. I kept wonder stupid things like why a butterfly is called a “butter-fly”. (Ps. Don’t look it up you will never look at them the same.) I love etymology of words. To see where they first got their meaning and their root. I love history and what it tells us about our decisions today.
Even the title of this blog struck me as odd when I realized I didn’t know where this came from. So here is an answer for you.
Curiosity killed the cat is a proverb used to warn against being too curious lest one come to harm. A less frequent rejoinder to 'curiosity killed the cat' is 'satisfaction brought it
Origins
The earliest printed reference to the origin of this proverb is attributed to British playwright Ben Jonson in his 1598 play, Every Man in His Humour (performed first by British playwright William Shakespeare).
...Helter skelter, hang sorrow, care will kill a cat, up-tails all, and a pox on the hangman.
In this instance, "care" was defined as "worry" or "sorrow."
Shakespeare used a similar quote in his circa 1599 play, Much Ado About Nothing:
“What, courage man! what though care killed a cat, thou hast mettle enough in thee to kill care”
Usages
Curiosity killed the cat literally means:
Mind your own business. Being nosy and getting yourself involved in unnecessary things can lead to problems.
▪ The proverb remained the same until at least 1898. Ebenezer Cobham Brewer included this definition in his Dictionary of Phrase and Fable:
Care killed the Cat.
It is said that "a cat has nine lives," yet care would wear them all out.
The origin of the modern variation is unknown. The earliest known printed reference that is similar in style and meaning to the current proverb is O. Henry's short story Schools and Schools from 1909:
Curiosity can do more things than kill a cat; and if emotions, well recognized as feminine, are inimical to feline life, then jealousy would soon leave the whole world catless.
▪ The earliest known printed reference to the actual phrase occurred in The Washington Post on 4 March 1916 (page 6):
CURIOSITY KILLED THE CAT.
▪
Four Departments of New York City Government Summoned to Rescue Feline.
From the New York World.
Curiosity, as you may recall—
On the fifth floor of the apartment house at 203 West 130th street lives Miss Mable Godfrey. When she came to the house about seven months ago she brought Blackie, a cat of several years' experience of life.
The cat seldom left the apartment. He was a hearth cat, not a fence cat, and did not dearly love to sing. In other respects he was normal and hence curious.
Last Tuesday afternoon when Miss Godfrey was out Blackie skipped into the grate fireplace in a rear room. He had done this many times before. But he had not climbed up the flue to the chimney. This he did Tuesday. Blackie there remained, perched on the top of the screen separating the apartment flue from the main chimney, crying for assistance. Miss Godfrey, returning, tried to induce her pet to come down. If you are experienced in felinity, you know that Blackie didn't come down.
On Wednesday the cat, curiosity unsatisfied, tried to climb higher—and fell to the first floor. His cries could still be heard by Miss Godfrey; who, to effect Blackie's rescue, communicated with the following departments:
1. Police department.
2. Fire department.
3. Health department.
4. Building department.
5. Washington Heights court.
Among them they lowered a rope to Blackie. But it availed neither the cat nor them anything.
Thursday morning, just before noon, a plumber opened the rear wall back of the chimney. Blackie was taken out. His fall had injured his back. Ten minutes later Blackie died.
The proverb, though, has been widely attributed to Eugene O'Neill who included the variation, "Curiosity killed a cat!" in his play Diff'rent from 1920:
you feed information to people that revolves around their lives. very intrusive and flattering. but very unwelcoming.
BENNY—(with a wink) Curiosity killed a cat! Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies.
This is what I love most about curiosity, you can actually learn something new everyday. The problem with curiosity is that it can and often does get you in trouble. People and organizations do not like to be asked questions. They don’t want to be held accountable to reason and inspection.
Well enough on that I’m off to kill some more cats ☺
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