herd cats
verbEtymology
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.
Definitions
To attempt to control the uncontrollable
To attempt to control the uncontrollable; to attempt to manage a great many unruly factors or people to a single end.
- Managing volunteers from fourteen different organizations is like herding cats.
- Finally, you present this vision and your goals to the authors; after that it’s like herding cats. Authors have their own perspectives on their topics, their own notions about what constitutes significant issues and adequate coverage
- Trying to predict the future of office automation is like trying to herd cats. Things go in so many directions, you end up with a fist full of air.
Used other than figuratively or idiomatically
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.
The neighborhood
Vish — recursive loop
No curated loop yet for herd cats. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.
sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA