"dogs have masters, cats have staff" meaning in All languages combined

See dogs have masters, cats have staff on Wiktionary

Proverb [English]

Etymology: The exact date of its first appearance and its author are uncertain. Head templates: {{head|en|proverb}} dogs have masters, cats have staff
  1. (humorous) A dog will always aim to please and display loyalty to its owner, whereas a cat will always seek to be served and obeyed. Tags: humorous Synonyms: dogs have owners, cats have staff Related terms: cats rule, dogs drool
    Sense id: en-dogs_have_masters,_cats_have_staff-en-proverb-3etmocQ7 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English proverbs, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries
{
  "etymology_text": "The exact date of its first appearance and its author are uncertain.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "proverb"
      },
      "expansion": "dogs have masters, cats have staff",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "proverb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
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          "source": "w"
        },
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          "parents": [],
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        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
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          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2002, Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson, The Nine Emotional Lives of Cats A Journey Into the Feline Heart:",
          "text": "Somebody once quipped that only dogs have masters; cats have staff!",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2003, Nancy Pearl, Book Lust - Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment, and Reason:",
          "text": "Sneaky Pie Brown, coauthor with Rita Mae Brown of a series of mysteries (including Catch as Cat Can and Claws and Effect), once opined, \"Dogs have masters, cats have staff.\"",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2007, Cindy Adams, Living a Dog's Life, Jazzy, Juicy, and Me:",
          "text": "It was suggsted I get a cat. This was not for me. Dogs have masters, cats have staff.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2015, Sara Munson Deats, Conrad Gordon Deats, Cats I Have Loved:",
          "text": "A wit once joked, \"Dogs have masters, cats have staff.\" This adage aptly described Loki, but certainly neither Sheba nor Tinker.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2021, Meredith Premium Publishing, PawPrint, Inside a Dog's Brain:",
          "text": "Kelly St. Denis, current president of the American Association of Feline Practitioners, thinks a cat's independence make (sic) him ruler of the roost: \"Dogs have masters. Cats have staff.\"",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2022, Harry L. Serio, The Other Side of Memory, page 37:",
          "text": "Nevertheless, I have learned that there is an element of truth in the saying \"Dogs have masters, cats have staff.\"",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2023, Stacia Quick, Moon Rise, A Tucker Family Adventure:",
          "text": "Rachel stopped Joe with one hand on his arm as both of them chuckled at the sight of dozens of cats in perpetual motion, and commented in a low tone, \"Dogs have masters. Cats have staff.\"",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A dog will always aim to please and display loyalty to its owner, whereas a cat will always seek to be served and obeyed."
      ],
      "id": "en-dogs_have_masters,_cats_have_staff-en-proverb-3etmocQ7",
      "links": [
        [
          "humorous",
          "humorous"
        ],
        [
          "dog",
          "dog"
        ],
        [
          "please",
          "please"
        ],
        [
          "display",
          "display"
        ],
        [
          "loyalty",
          "loyalty"
        ],
        [
          "owner",
          "owner"
        ],
        [
          "cat",
          "cat"
        ],
        [
          "served",
          "served"
        ],
        [
          "obeyed",
          "obeyed"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(humorous) A dog will always aim to please and display loyalty to its owner, whereas a cat will always seek to be served and obeyed."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "cats rule, dogs drool"
        }
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "dogs have owners, cats have staff"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "humorous"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "dogs have masters, cats have staff"
}
{
  "etymology_text": "The exact date of its first appearance and its author are uncertain.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "proverb"
      },
      "expansion": "dogs have masters, cats have staff",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "proverb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "cats rule, dogs drool"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English humorous terms",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English proverbs",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Pages with 1 entry",
        "Pages with entries"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2002, Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson, The Nine Emotional Lives of Cats A Journey Into the Feline Heart:",
          "text": "Somebody once quipped that only dogs have masters; cats have staff!",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2003, Nancy Pearl, Book Lust - Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment, and Reason:",
          "text": "Sneaky Pie Brown, coauthor with Rita Mae Brown of a series of mysteries (including Catch as Cat Can and Claws and Effect), once opined, \"Dogs have masters, cats have staff.\"",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2007, Cindy Adams, Living a Dog's Life, Jazzy, Juicy, and Me:",
          "text": "It was suggsted I get a cat. This was not for me. Dogs have masters, cats have staff.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2015, Sara Munson Deats, Conrad Gordon Deats, Cats I Have Loved:",
          "text": "A wit once joked, \"Dogs have masters, cats have staff.\" This adage aptly described Loki, but certainly neither Sheba nor Tinker.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2021, Meredith Premium Publishing, PawPrint, Inside a Dog's Brain:",
          "text": "Kelly St. Denis, current president of the American Association of Feline Practitioners, thinks a cat's independence make (sic) him ruler of the roost: \"Dogs have masters. Cats have staff.\"",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2022, Harry L. Serio, The Other Side of Memory, page 37:",
          "text": "Nevertheless, I have learned that there is an element of truth in the saying \"Dogs have masters, cats have staff.\"",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2023, Stacia Quick, Moon Rise, A Tucker Family Adventure:",
          "text": "Rachel stopped Joe with one hand on his arm as both of them chuckled at the sight of dozens of cats in perpetual motion, and commented in a low tone, \"Dogs have masters. Cats have staff.\"",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A dog will always aim to please and display loyalty to its owner, whereas a cat will always seek to be served and obeyed."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "humorous",
          "humorous"
        ],
        [
          "dog",
          "dog"
        ],
        [
          "please",
          "please"
        ],
        [
          "display",
          "display"
        ],
        [
          "loyalty",
          "loyalty"
        ],
        [
          "owner",
          "owner"
        ],
        [
          "cat",
          "cat"
        ],
        [
          "served",
          "served"
        ],
        [
          "obeyed",
          "obeyed"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(humorous) A dog will always aim to please and display loyalty to its owner, whereas a cat will always seek to be served and obeyed."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "dogs have owners, cats have staff"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "humorous"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "dogs have masters, cats have staff"
}

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This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable All languages combined dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-11-06 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-10-02 using wiktextract (fbeafe8 and 7f03c9b). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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