Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats: Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats

by T.S. Eliot
These whimsical poems by modernist T.S. Eliot were originally written for Eliot's godchildren. The collected poems were eventually adapted by Andrew Lloyd Webber for the musical Cats.

Here are links to our lists for other works by T.S. Eliot: The Wasteland, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock
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words only definitions & notes
  1. quorum
    a gathering of the minimal number of members of a group
    Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum,
    Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo, or Coricopat,
    Such as Bombalurina, or else Jellylorum—
    Names that never belong to more than one cat.
  2. profound
    showing intellectual penetration or emotional depth
    When you notice a cat in profound meditation,
    The reason, I tell you, is always the same:
    His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation
    Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name:
    His ineffable effable
    Effanineffable
    Deep and inscrutable singular Name.
  3. rapt
    feeling great delight and interest
    When you notice a cat in profound meditation,
    The reason, I tell you, is always the same:
    His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation
    Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name:
    His ineffable effable
    Effanineffable
    Deep and inscrutable singular Name.
  4. ineffable
    defying expression or description
    When you notice a cat in profound meditation,
    The reason, I tell you, is always the same:
    His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation
    Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name:
    His ineffable effable
    Effanineffable
    Deep and inscrutable singular Name.
  5. inscrutable
    difficult or impossible to understand
    When you notice a cat in profound meditation,
    The reason, I tell you, is always the same:
    His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation
    Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name:
    His ineffable effable
    Effanineffable
    Deep and inscrutable singular Name.
  6. wanton
    unprovoked or without motive or justification
    She thinks that the cockroaches just need employment
    To prevent them from idle and wanton destroyment.
  7. lout
    an awkward, foolish person
    So she's formed, from that lot of disorderly louts,
    A troop of well-disciplined helpful boy-scouts,
    With a purpose in life and a good deed to do—
    And she's even created a Beetles' Tattoo.
  8. seedy
    shabby and untidy
    His manners and appearance did not calculate to please;
    His coat was torn and seedy, he was baggy at the knees;
    One ear was somewhat missing, no need to tell you why,
    And he scowled upon a hostile world from one forbidding eye.
  9. balmy
    mild and pleasant
    All in the balmy moonlight it lay rocking on the tide—
    And Growltiger was disposed to show his sentimental side.
  10. raffish
    marked by a carefree unconventionality or disreputability
    And his raffish crew were sleeping in their barrels and their bunks—
    As the Siamese came creeping in their sampans and their junks.
  11. enrapture
    hold spellbound
    Growltiger had no eye or ear for aught but Griddlebone,
    And the Lady seemed enraptured by his manly baritone,
    Disposed to relaxation, and awaiting no surprise—
    But the moonlight shone reflected from a thousand bright blue eyes.
  12. larder
    a small storeroom for storing foods or wines
    If you offer him cream then he sniffs and sneers,
    For he only likes what he finds for himself;
    So you'll catch him in it right up to the ears,
    If you put it away on the larder shelf.
  13. artful
    marked by skill or cunning in achieving a desired end
    The Rum Tum Tugger is artful and knowing,
    The Rum Tum Tugger doesn't care for a cuddle;
    But he'll leap on your lap in the middle of your sewing,
    For there's nothing he enjoys like a horrible muddle.
  14. caterwaul
    make a shrill and unpleasant screeching sound
    Jellicle Cats are black and white,
    Jellicle Cats are rather small;
    Jellicle Cats are merry and bright,
    And pleasant to hear when they caterwaul.
  15. repose
    freedom from activity
    Until the Jellicle Moon appears
    They make their toilette and take their repose:
    Jellicles wash behind their ears,
    Jellicles dry between their toes.
  16. terpsichorean
    of or relating to dancing
    They're quiet enough in the morning hours,
    They're quiet enough in the afternoon,
    Reserving their terpsichorean powers
    To dance by the light of the Jellicle Moon.
  17. caper
    a playful leap or hop
    Jellicle Cats are black and white,
    Jellicle Cats (as I said) are small;
    If it happens to be a stormy night
    They will practise a caper or two in the hall.
  18. rove
    move about aimlessly or without any destination
    They made their home in
    Victoria Grove—
    That was merely their centre of operation, for they were
    incurably given to rove.
  19. accession
    the act of attaining a new office or right or position
    He was famous in proverb and famous in rhyme
    A long while before Queen Victoria's accession.
  20. progeny
    the immediate descendants of a person
    Old Deuteronomy's buried nine wives
    And more—I am tempted to say, ninety-nine;
    And his numerous progeny prospers and thrives
    And the village is proud of him in his decline.
  21. placid
    not easily irritated
    At the sight of that placid and bland physiognomy,
    When he sits in the sun on the vicarage wall,
    The Oldest Inhabitant croaks: 'Well, of all...
    Things...Can it be...really!...'
  22. physiognomy
    the human face
    At the sight of that placid and bland physiognomy,
    When he sits in the sun on the vicarage wall,
    The Oldest Inhabitant croaks: 'Well, of all...
    Things...Can it be...really!...'
  23. untoward
    contrary to your interests or welfare
    The cars and the lorries run over the kerb,
    And the villagers put up a notice: ROAD CLOSED—
    So that nothing untoward may chance to disturb
    Deuteronomy's rest when he feels so disposed
    Or when he's engaged in domestic economy
  24. gastronomy
    the art and practice of preparing and eating good food
    The digestive repose of that feline's gastronomy
    Must never be broken, whatever befall
  25. implacable
    incapable of being appeased or pacified
    The Pekes and the Pollicles, everyone knows,
    Are proud and implacable passionate foes;
    It is always the same, wherever one goes.
  26. fray
    a noisy fight
    And the Pugs and the Poms, although most people say
    That they do not like fighting, yet once in a way,
    They will now and again join in to the fray
  27. din
    the act of making a noisy outburst
    But a terrible din is what Pollicles like,
    For your Pollicle Dog is a dour Yorkshire tyke,
    And his braw Scottish cousins are snappers and biters,
    And every dog-jack of them notable fighters
  28. dour
    showing a brooding ill humor
    But a terrible din is what Pollicles like,
    For your Pollicle Dog is a dour Yorkshire tyke,
    And his braw Scottish cousins are snappers and biters,
    And every dog-jack of them notable fighters
  29. aloof
    distant, cold, or detached in manner
    Then the Pugs and the Poms held no longer aloof,
    But some from the balcony, some from the roof,
    Joined in
    To the din
  30. eccentric
    conspicuously or grossly unconventional or unusual
    There's no such Cat in the metropolis;
    He holds all the patent monopolies
    For performing surprising illusions
    And creating eccentric confusions.
  31. prestidigitation
    manual dexterity in the execution of tricks
    At prestidigitation
    And at legerdemain
    He'll defy examination
    And deceive you again.
  32. legerdemain
    an illusory feat
    At prestidigitation
    And at legerdemain
    He'll defy examination
    And deceive you again.
  33. incontestable
    not open to question or doubt; obviously true
    And he's sometimes been heard by the fire
    When he was about on the roof—
    (At least we all heard that somebody purred)
    Which is incontestable proof
    Of his singular magical powers
  34. fakir
    a Muslim or Hindu mendicant monk regarded as a holy man
    His powers of levitation would make a fakir stare,
    And when you reach the scene of crime—Macavity's not there!
  35. depravity
    moral perversion; impairment of virtue and moral principles
    Macavity, Macavity, there's no one like Macavity,
    For he's a fiend in feline shape, a monster of depravity.
  36. suavity
    the quality of being charming and gracious in manner
    Macavity, Macavity, there's no one like Macavity,
    There never was a Cat of such deceitfulness and suavity.
  37. regale
    occupy in an agreeable, entertaining or pleasant fashion
    And whenever he joins his friends at their club
    (Which takes place at the back of the neighbouring pub)
    He loves to regale them, if someone else pays,
    With anecdotes drawn from his palmiest days.
  38. anecdote
    short account of an incident
    And whenever he joins his friends at their club
    (Which takes place at the back of the neighbouring pub)
    He loves to regale them, if someone else pays,
    With anecdotes drawn from his palmiest days.
  39. extemporize
    perform or speak without preparation
    'I have played', so he says, 'every possible part,
    And I used to know seventy speeches by heart.
    I'd extemporize back-chat, I knew how to gag,
    And I knew how to let the cat out of the bag...'
  40. troupe
    an organization of performers and associated personnel
    They never get drilled in a regular troupe,
    And they think they are smart, just to jump through a hoop.
  41. fastidious
    giving careful attention to detail
    He's the Cat we all greet as he walks down the street
    In his coat of fastidious black:
    No commonplace mousers have such well-cut trousers
    Or such an impeccable back.
  42. benison
    a spoken blessing
    In the season of venison he gives his ben'son
    To the Pothunter's succulent bones;
    And just before noon's not a moment too soon
    To drop in for a drink at the Drones.
  43. elation
    a feeling of joy and pride
    You were fast asleep at Crewe and so you never knew
    That he was walking up and down the station;
    You were sleeping all the while he was busy at Carlisle,
    Where he greets the stationmaster with elation.
  44. gambol
    play or run boisterously
    He's very easily taken in—
    Just chuck him underneath the chin
    Or slap his back or shake his paw,
    And he will gambol and guffaw.
  45. condescend
    do something that one considers to be below one's dignity
    Before a Cat will condescend
    To treat you as a trusted friend,
    Some little token of esteem
    Is needed, like a dish of cream
Created on Mon Jul 22 14:05:52 EDT 2019 (updated Mon Jul 22 14:38:25 EDT 2019)

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