“Not enough room to swing a cat”
The word ‘cat’ within this phrase doesn’t refer to a feline, but rather to a whip called the ‘cat-o’-nine-tails’. A flogging with a cat-o’-nine-tails was an infamous naval punishment. it was too cramped to swing the whip below deck – hence this phrase was born. Today you might use this phrase to describe a small, confined space.
Written by Lindsey