play cat and mouse with someone

play cat and mouse with someone
play cat and mouse with someone
Fig. to be coy and evasive with someone. •

I know what you are up to. Don't play cat and mouse with me!

I wish that they wouldn't play cat and mouse with me!


Dictionary of American idioms. 2013.

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  • play cat and mouse with — {v. phr.} To tease or fool (someone) by pretending to let him go free and then catching him again. * /Joe s uncle had fun playing cat and mouse with him./ * /The policeman decided to play cat and mouse when he saw the woman steal the dress in the …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • play cat and mouse with — {v. phr.} To tease or fool (someone) by pretending to let him go free and then catching him again. * /Joe s uncle had fun playing cat and mouse with him./ * /The policeman decided to play cat and mouse when he saw the woman steal the dress in the …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • play\ cat\ and\ mouse\ with — v. phr. To tease or fool (someone) by pretending to let him go free and then catching him again. Joe s uncle had fun playing cat and mouse with him. The policeman decided to play cat and mouse when he saw the woman steal the dress in the store …   Словарь американских идиом

  • play cat and mouse with smb — tease or fool someone by pretending to let him go free and then catching him again The boxer was playing cat and mouse with his opponent although he could have won easily …   Idioms and examples

  • play cat and mouse —    To play cat and mouse with someone means to treat them alternately cruelly and kindly, so that they do not know what to expect.     He s difficult to work for, always playing cat and mouse with the employees …   English Idioms & idiomatic expressions

  • play cat and mouse — to try to defeat someone by tricking them into making a mistake so that you have an advantage over them. The 32 year old actress spent a large proportion of the week playing cat and mouse with the press. (often + with) …   New idioms dictionary

  • cat and mouse — noun uncount a situation in which you let someone else believe that they have managed to escape, before you actually catch them: a game of cat and mouse play cat and mouse (with someone): Dora knew the detective was playing cat and mouse with her …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • cat and mouse — noun a game for children in which the players form a circle and join hands; they raise their hands to let a player inside the circle or lower their hands to bar a second player who is chasing the first • Syn: ↑cat and rat • Hypernyms: ↑child s… …   Useful english dictionary

  • cat and mouse — UK / US noun [uncountable] a situation in which you let someone else believe that they have managed to escape, before you actually catch them a game of cat and mouse play cat and mouse (with someone): Dora knew the detective was playing cat and… …   English dictionary

  • play (a game of) cat and mouse — 1. to repeatedly try to make someone react in a way that will cause them problems. Enemy warplanes have been playing a deadly game of cat and mouse, trying to bring American fighter planes into range of their missiles. 2. to try to find someone… …   New idioms dictionary

  • cat — noun (C) 1 ANIMAL a) a small animal with four legs that is often kept as a pet or used for catching mice (mouse (1)) b) a large animal that is related to this, such as a lion or tiger 2 let the cat out of the bag to tell a secret, especially… …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

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