dead cat
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.64 in modern English
11
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
3
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see dead, cat.
noun
A furry windscreen; a furry cover placed over a microphone to muffle the sound of wind.
noun
A shocking or sensational announcement made in order to distract one's political base from existing problems and previous failures.
Example Sentences
- ""A camera operator needs batteries, lenses, cards, filters. A wardrobe supervisor has racks of costumes. A sound recorder carries a dead cat on a stick. But a director only needs his folder.""
- "2019, July 2. "Film 101: What Is a Boom Operator? Understanding the Job of a Boom Operator", Masterclass.com. "The mic blimp is a wind-resistant cover that goes over the boom mic to reduce environmental background noise. It's commonly referred to as a "dead cat", because it's covered in fuzzy gray hair.""
- "dead cat strategy"
- "The problem is that once the idea of the dead cat had been discovered, suddenly there were deceased felines everywhere. Everything was a dead cat—every policy, every interview, every gaffe. Everything existed only to detract attention from something else."
- "Boris Johnson looked strained as he entered the House of Commons at midday on Wednesday, hoping that a "dead cat" and an apology over Downing Street parties would dig him out of his latest political hole."
- "But by Wednesday night, a massive dead cat was required to distract from a day of denied parties and prioritised pets, so Johnson banged plan B on the kitchen table, alienating backbench Covid sceptics."
Etymology
[Alt: A dark furry cover on a boom microphone] The instrument is named for its resemblance to an actual dead cat.