Meaning: Something said when a person is at a loss for words
History: There are two possible sources for this common short saying. The first refers to the cat-o’-nine-tails, a whip used by the English Navy for flogging. The whip caused so much pain that the victims were left speechless. The second refers to the practice of cutting out the tongues of liars and blasphemers and feeding them to cats.
Flogging Whip
Sailor Being Flogged
Modern Flogging
Modern Flogging
Cutting Out A Man's Tongue