English term
Canada
Quality & Comitment English Urdu Punjabi
Native in: Urdu (Variant: Pakistan) 
Works in: English to Urdu, Urdu to English, Punjabi to Urdu, and 6 more.
clean as a cat in pattens
"Some of the residents (of a neighborhood) who wish to be clean as a cat in pattens get irritated when these grey cats mess up their things."
what does the phrase mean? are there any internet links to verify if this is an idiom, or just a random combination of words to refer to some cats with such clean habits as if they're habitual of wearing pattens?
Nov 15, 2021 17:57: Professor Saqib changed "Field (write-in)" from "(none)" to "I think given phrase in provided context could also mean that some residents are so finicky about cleanliness as a cat, so as to wear pattens in this modern age (when there are no muddy streets to require them to do so). However, either commas are missing (i.e. wish to be clean, as a cat, in pattens) , or sentence is not correctly structured (i.e. wish to be clean in pattens, as a cat) which creates the confusion. "
Nov 15, 2021 17:58: Professor Saqib changed "Field (write-in)" from "I think given phrase in provided context could also mean that some residents are so finicky about cleanliness as a cat, so as to wear pattens in this modern age (when there are no muddy streets to require them to do so). However, either commas are missing" to "(none)"
Non-PRO (2): Yvonne Gallagher, Helena Chavarria
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Reference comments
Spain
Striving for excellence
Native in: English (Variant: British) 
Works in: Spanish to English, Catalan to English
'Everything in this kitchen was absolutely bright and spotless, as clean as a cat in pattens, except the ceiling, darkened by fumes of gas.'
http://mural.uv.es/aidelato/annaofthefivetowns.html
Anna of the Five Towns, novel by Arnold Bennett, published in 1902. It was the first in a series of novels set in the Potteries, Bennett’s native region of northern Staffordshire. The book details the constrictions of provincial life among the self-made business classes.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Anna-of-the-Five-Towns
As far as I know, it's not an idiom. It's just an amusing choice of words used by Arnold Bennett in his book 'Anna of the Five Towns'.
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Murilo Russini
7 mins
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Thank you, Murilo :-)
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Charlotte Fleming
2 hrs
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Thank you, Charlotte :-)
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Yvonne Gallagher
: answered quite recently
3 hrs
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Thank you, Yvonne :-)
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Someone has already asked this question.
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Tony M
1 hr
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Thank you!
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writeaway
: And both askers are quoting the same English text. Maybe it's part of an English language course
2 hrs
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Thank you!
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Katalin Horváth McClure
: It is from the ProZ translation contest: https://www.proz.com/translation-contests/71
7 hrs
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Thank you!
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quit clean
So, it only can mean quit clean
Definition of patten
: a clog, sandal, or overshoe often with a wooden sole or metal device to elevate the foot and increase the wearer's height or aid in walking in mud - https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patten
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Note added at 10 horas (2021-11-13 07:23:11 GMT)
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The phrase exists in commece announces, but I should say: quite clean as, though correct, is neologism
https://lcpshop.net/product/paw-protection-cat-anti-scratch-...
Discussion