Re: Morimarusa

> > Wonder how the Katzen- part came to mean something minderwertiges ...
>
> <Katzentisch> and <Katzenbank> probably represent the original
> figurative usage, with the fanciful imagery of tables and chairs for
> cats.

Mnjao. Hm.

> In Washington's time, small beer referred to beer with low
> alcohol content, which is minderwertig for most of us. Thus, 'cat-'
> > 'small' > 'having small value'.

? I don't recall any reference to 'cat's beer' in 'John Adams'.
Nice try, though.


Torsten