Make Your Point > Archived Issues > CAT'S CRADLE

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explore the archives: Cat's cradle has nothing to do with actual cats--it's a game kids play with strings, or a metaphor for complexity, and no one is quite sure how the name originated. But caterwaul does have something to do with actual cats. Can you explain that link? And define caterwaul more generally? make your point with... "CAT'S CRADLE" You play cat's cradle by looping string around the fingers of both hands and turning it into complicated shapes, sometimes with a partner. (See a diagram here.) So, more generally, a cat's cradle is something so complicated, with so many interrelated parts, that it reminds you of a complex web of string. Pronunciation: CATS CRAY dull Part of speech: Countable noun. (Countable nouns, like "bottle," "piece," and "decision," are words for things that can be broken into exact units. You talk about "a bottle," "three pieces," and "many decisions." Likewise, talk about one cat's cradle or multiple cat's cradles.) Other forms: For the adjective, add a hyphen: "cat's-cradle reasoning," "this cat's-cradle plot." What does "cat's cradle" have to do with "Cat's in the Cradle," that 1974 song by Harry Chapin? As best I can tell, the song references the literal game as a symbol of both childhood and the complexity of family relationships. How to use it: Refer to any intricate and interwoven thing, system, process, collection, or situation as a cat's cradle. Sometimes we'll follow that with "of:" a cat's cradle of lies, a cat's cradle of sounds, a cat's cradle of rules and regulations, the book is a plotless cat's cradle of observations and memories and poems. Or, be more literal and refer to physical objects, routes, or other movements as cat's cradles: "Their trip traced a cat's cradle on the map." Notice that a cat's cradle can have all the complexity and menace of a Gordian knot but is much more structured. (A cat's cradle has parts that cross over each other; a Gordian knot has parts that stay densely tangled.) examples: In eighth grade I tried reading Ivanhoe but got frustrated with its cat's cradle of characters. Heidi coordinates weddings, and coordinates them really well. Somehow that whole cat's cradle of sites, people, services, paperwork, and elegance comes together in her hands. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "cat's cradle" means when you can explain it without saying "intricacy" or "interrelation." try it out: Think of a song, story, or situation that gets really complicated or starts to overlap on itself. Fill in the blank: "_____ wind(s) (itself/themselves) into a cat's cradle." Example: "The lyrics to 'Tubthumping' wind themselves into a cat's cradle." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. Our game this month is called "Cousins or Strangers?" Consider two pairs of similar-looking words, and figure out which pair are truly related, like cousins, and which pair are unrelated, like strangers. "Related," of course, is a relative concept (ha ha). We're interested in closeness: "compute" and "computer" are sisters, or variations of the same word; "vision" and "video" are cousins, sharing the same Latin root; but "compute" and "video" are strangers. From our previous issue: Pair A: CALLOUS and CALLUS. These are the cousins. To be callous is to be emotionally hardened; to have a callus is to have a hardened bit of skin. Both words come from the Latin callum, meaning "hard skin." Pair B: FOUR and FORK. These are the strangers. Although a trident has three teeth and breaks down into roots meaning "three" and "teeth," and although a fork has four tines, "fork" doesn't relate to the number four. "Fork" comes from the Latin furca, meaning "pitchfork," and no one is sure where furca came from. Ready to check out two more pairs? Remember, one pair will be cousins; the other, strangers. Which is which? Pair A: LIGHT and DELIGHT Pair B: PROMISE and COMPROMISE review today's word: 1. The opposite of CAT'S CRADLE could be A. A POINT OF NO RETURN B. A STRAIGHTFORWARD PATH C. A VOICE CRYING OUT IN THE WILDERNESS 2. Kurt Vonnegut's novel Cat's Cradle explores _____. A. the role of free will in a civilized society B. the failure of our great big brains to save us C. the interplay of science, religion, humanity, and technology Answers are below. a final word: To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. B 2. C