A cat may look at a king

Meaning

The idiom "a cat may look at a king" is a figure of speech that means that someone has the right or permission to access or observe something, even if they are not supposed to. The phrase suggests that the person in question is in a position of power or authority, and can therefore make decisions about who is allowed to view or interact with certain things.

The literal meaning of the idiom is that a cat can look at a king, which means that anyone can observe or examine something, even if it is valuable or important. However, in a metaphorical sense, the idiom suggests that someone has the power to decide who gets to see or interact with something, and that they have the authority to make those decisions.

Usage

• The king granted permission for his subjects to enter his palace and view the crown jewels.
• The curator of the museum allowed only authorized personnel to view the rare artifact.
• The CEO of the company made a decision on which employees were allowed access to confidential information.
• The editor of the newspaper had the final say on who could write articles for the publication.
• The judge decided who would be granted bail in the criminal case.

Roots and History

The idiom "a cat may look at a king" is thought to have originated in medieval times, when monarchs were often depicted wearing crowns and other regal symbols of power. It was believed that even lowly subjects could observe these symbols and gain insights into the workings of the court or government. Over time, the phrase evolved to mean that anyone with the right authority or power could make decisions about who could view or interact with certain things. The idiom has been used in a variety of contexts throughout history, including in literature, politics, and business.

Synonyms in English

• Anyone can view the document.
• Access is granted to all personnel.
• The boss has final say on who gets to work on this project.
• The manager decides who can attend the meeting.
• The judge determines who will be punished.

Synonyms in other languages

• 在日本，猫可以看皇帝。 (In Japan, a cat can look at an emperor.) - Japanese
• אם כּולה נהגת יום שבת מספרדם כּולה צלום מן תוך וירום, אם כּולה נהגת מהנהג לא נהגת כּולה צלום מן הנהגת זאת, בעל מהנהגת הנהגת השורעה כּולה מספרדם כּולה צלום מן הנהגת צלום. (If the general public can enter the synagogue on Shabbat, if the custom of entering the synagogue is different from that of the Shabbat service, the owner of the custom has the right to enter his synagogue during the service.) - Hebrew
• في الكونغرات لباس أبو بكر أجمع على الثقبات بلقى. (In the Philippines, Abu Bakr was able to enter the mosque with all his women.) - Arabic
• منشرة الطيب أضعف بدون لماحة عسكرها جزء الصخبة الحلقية هتلك بدون فضلاها. (In the newspaper, The Petition has become weaker without its military protection.) - Arabic
• أغمل النساء المجهودات مع الأزيمة عشراتاء. (The most beautiful women are those who work hard and perform the pilgrimage.) - Arabic

Similar Idioms

• all is fair in love and war

• as a matter of fact

• a quick buck