herd cats

动词 v.
中文释义

英文释义

动词 v.
  1. To attempt to control the uncontrollable; to attempt to manage a great many unruly factors or people to a single end. idiomatic
    — Managing volunteers from fourteen different organizations is like herding cats.
  2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see herd, cat.
    — It would be hard teaching a shepherd dog to herd cats, or even to herd sheep, before he leaves off his puppy ways and shows himself ready to become a good shepherd.

词形变化

herds cats present,singular,third-person herding cats participle,present herded cats participle,past herded cats past

词源

Formed of herd + cat, perhaps in reference to domesticated cats’ solitary nature. Possibly from the opening scene of Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979). Shepherds are discussing sheep and the topic strays to cats: "Can you imagine a herds of cats waiting to be sheared? Meow! Meow! Woo hoo hoo." Earliest usage unknown, but the idiom is attested from the 1980s.
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