About the meaning of the motto 'Touch not a cat but a glove"

[Shawwii Lu]

Coincidentally, at the moment there is a series of bright red, formerly bloody furrows extending from my right wrist for several inches toward my elbow.

This is the direct result of touching a cat bot a glove.

The cat, a psychotic Siamese that lives in my house, lures its victims in by looking cute, cuddly and lovable. After a few seconds of accepting worship in the form of head scritches as its rightful due, the cat will invariably roll over, seize the scritching hand in its jaws, wrap both forelegs around its hapless victim, anchoring it in place with extended claws, and perform several vigorous disemboweling kicks with its hind legs, thus creating the aforementioned formerly bloody furrows.

The cat appears to be amused by my screams of pain and is quite indignant when I call a halt to these festivities. It huffs at me!

So funny and well-worded！I have to use my dictionary to understand all your words.

[MacGumerait]

I am baffled about the meaning of "bot a glove" in this motto, I incline to the view that it means people who is not wearing a glove should not touch a cat, not means that while a cat is not wearing a glove people should not touch the cat. Because cats have no gloves. My mother tongue is Chinese, I'm quite good at English. Please teach me about it. Thanks a lot!

Shawwii Lu from China

Greetings and welcome to XMarks .

The motto " Touch not the cat bot a glove " is saying in modern day English " Don't touch a cat that has it's claws out " .

The expression " bot a glove " is referring to the cat ( wildcat ) not a person trying to touch the cat .

The pad on a cat's paw was once called a " glove " . If the cat is " without a glove " ( bot a glove ) it means the cat has it's claws extended out .

Thus , " Touch not the cat bot a glove " ... means ... " Don't touch a cat with it's claws out " . This motto was used by the Macpherson Clan and was meant as a warning to those who would " touch " their Clan .... or in other words , a warning to those who would interfere and try to do harm to the Macphersons .

Hope this helps clarify .

Cheers , Mike

[Bob C]

Coincidentally, at the moment there is a series of bright red, formerly bloody furrows extending from my right wrist for several inches toward my elbow.

This is the direct result of touching a cat bot a glove.

The cat, a psychotic Siamese that lives in my house, lures its victims in by looking cute, cuddly and lovable. After a few seconds of accepting worship in the form of head scritches as its rightful due, the cat will invariably roll over, seize the scritching hand in its jaws, wrap both forelegs around its hapless victim, anchoring it in place with extended claws, and perform several vigorous disemboweling kicks with its hind legs, thus creating the aforementioned formerly bloody furrows.

The cat appears to be amused by my screams of pain and is quite indignant when I call a halt to these festivities. It huffs at me!

Love your signature line. I am currently on my third trip through the series.

[ThistleDown]

I am baffled about the meaning of "bot a glove" in this motto, I incline to the view that it means people who is not wearing a glove should not touch a cat, not means that while a cat is not wearing a glove people should not touch the cat. Because cats have no gloves. My mother tongue is Chinese, I'm quite good at English. Please teach me about it. Thanks a lot!

Shawwii Lu from China

'Bot' is simply another spelling for 'but'. Within the Clan Chattan itself there are two thoughts on the meaning: 'don't touch this cat unless you are wearing a glove' (that is, touch it gently), and 'don't touch this cat unless it is gloved'. A gloved cat is one with its claws withdrawn, or sheathed. The former has more adherents. Historically, the Clanchattan chiefship passed to Angus 6th of Mackintosh and it was his descendant who first used the slogan. As they became armigerous, most of the other Chattan chiefs adopted the same or variants/responses.

[Jock Scot]

'Bot' is simply another spelling for 'but'. Within the Clan Chattan itself there are two thoughts on the meaning: 'don't touch this cat unless you are wearing a glove' (that is, touch it gently), and 'don't touch this cat unless it is gloved'. A gloved cat is one with its claws withdrawn, or sheathed. The former has more adherents. Historically, the Clanchattan chiefship passed to Angus 6th of Mackintosh and it was his descendant who first used the slogan. As they became armigerous, most of the other Chattan chiefs adopted the same or variants/responses.

I wondered-------and hoped-------if the authority on Clan Chattan would chip in, thank you Rex. Nice to hear from you stranger!

[ThistleDown]

Good to see your smiling voice, too, Jock. I missed you this summer. You were in the south for much of it, I think.

[Macman]

'Bot' is simply another spelling for 'but'. Within the Clan Chattan itself there are two thoughts on the meaning: 'don't touch this cat unless you are wearing a glove' (that is, touch it gently), and 'don't touch this cat unless it is gloved'. A gloved cat is one with its claws withdrawn, or sheathed. The former has more adherents. Historically, the Clanchattan chiefship passed to Angus 6th of Mackintosh and it was his descendant who first used the slogan. As they became armigerous, most of the other Chattan chiefs adopted the same or variants/responses.

Thank you, Rex. As a Mackintosh, I had only heard the former meaning; the second meaning I found out about only through this thread. I learn something every day!

[Jock Scot]

Good to see your smiling voice, too, Jock. I missed you this summer. You were in the south for much of it, I think.

Yes, I am afraid that events conspired against me and kept me down south for far too long. I did manage to snatch a couple of all too brief visits back north though.

[OC Richard]

Love your signature line. I am currently on my third trip through the series.

Yes indeed! I used to use portions of that passage as my signature line, however I included the "...she has been offering herself to Lt Babbington" which made me laugh out loud when I read the book. (Sorry I don't have the book in front of me, so I'm paraphrasing.)

Only one trip through the entire series, sorry to say, but two reads of my favourites, and three of the first book.

I wish HBO or somebody could do a high-quality miniseries format of the series (with an entirely British and Irish cast) at least covering the first two books, though Desolation Island would be awesome to include. The success or failure of the series would in part hinge on the casting of the Maturin role, so mishandled in that mess of a movie IMHO.

[Bob C]

Yes indeed! I used to use portions of that passage as my signature line, however I included the "...she has been offering herself to Lt Babbington" which made me laugh out loud when I read the book. (Sorry I don't have the book in front of me, so I'm paraphrasing.)

Only one trip through the entire series, sorry to say, but two reads of my favourites, and three of the first book.

I wish HBO or somebody could do a high-quality miniseries format of the series (with an entirely British and Irish cast) at least covering the first two books, though Desolation Island would be awesome to include. The success or failure of the series would in part hinge on the casting of the Maturin role, so mishandled in that mess of a movie IMHO.

I like the movie and will always be grateful that it introduced me to the books. But yeah, Bettany is not Maturin.