"At night all cats are grey"

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Phrases such as “all cats are gray at night” are part of every language culture and their meaning is usually at least partially clear. What are these special forms of everyday communication used for?

All cats are gray only at night.
All cats are gray only at night.

Idioms - an interesting form of communication

  • Almost everyone uses idioms over and over again, often without really being aware of it. These phrases are a way of finding a common denominator in conversation without having to delve into a topic. So they keep a conversation on the surface and at the same time make it possible to recognize from the reaction of the other whether you are “on the same page”.
  • Idioms often have their origins in the distant past and their origins are sometimes obscure. Nevertheless, they enjoy great popularity in everyday communication. This is also due to the fact that they are generally known as a cultural asset and hand down traditional knowledge. This in turn promotes the feeling of belonging to a language area.
  • Even in larger groups, idioms are well accommodated. If a suitable one is formulated, it can act like a secret code that connects everyone who understands it.

“All cats are gray at night” - interpretation and other aspects

  • A generally understandable interpretation of the phrase “all cats are gray at night” means that things can appear in different light depending on the changed conditions. This also means that everything appears the same when the external criteria for differentiation - for whatever reason - no longer exist. If you wait for the day, if you look at things differently, new perspectives emerge.
  • This idiom subliminally conveys other aspects that are often only taken up unconsciously. They are the basis for the images that are chosen to pass on the life experience behind them. For example, the phrase “all cats are gray at night” alludes to the fact that humans stand up in the dark unsafe terrain, while the superior cat acts safely as a predator at night, following its life-sustaining instincts can.
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