Cat got your tongue?

Wadjasay? American English Pronunciation Practice

I was thinking about cats today. And then I decided it would be fun to do a little podcast about cats. Or about the word "cat" anyway.
Let's start with the sound: CAT /æ/ cat cat cat I have a cat. I have a cat.
[æ = the phonetic symbol for this sound]
Cat rhymes with flat. In England some people live in "flats" which in the USA we call apartments. He lives in a flat. I live in an apartment.
Flat. I have a cat in my flat. I put a hat on my cat. I like to pat my cat.
Flat
Hat
Pat
Mat. Matt can be a name, short for Matthew. Or a floor mat to wipe your feet.
The cat sat on the mat. The cat sat on the mat.
Sat. I sat down. You sat down. We all sat down.
Rat. I don't like rats. A good cat will chase a rat. A good cat will chase a rat.
Listen to these contrasts:
Rat. Rot. Writ. Rut……… Rat. Rot. Writ. Rut.
Hat. Hot. Hit. Hut………..Hat. Hot. Hit. Hut.
Pat. Pot. Pit. Putt………..Pat. Pot. Pit. Putt.
Now some sentences with "cat".
When I pet my cat, she purrs. (3x)
This sentence is silly:
The cat sat on my hat. Now my hat is flat cause the cat is fat. (3x)
My cats like to catch rats. (3x)
I'm delighted when my cat catches a rat. I'm very happy. (3x)
Finally, a few expressions with the word cat.
1) Cat's got your tongue? or Cat got your tongue? If you ask a question and the other person can't or doesn't want to answer, you can say: Cat got your tongue?
Here's an example:
I know you took some money from my wallet. What do you have to say for yourself?
[Silence, no answer}
What's the matter: Cat's got your tongue?
2) The cat's out of the bag. This means that a secret is no longer a secret.
Example: I didn't want anyone to know I was going to get married. But then my brother told all his friends. The cat's out of the bag now.
3) There's more than one way to skin a cat. This means that there is more than one way to do something.
Example: John likes to add numbers in his head. Robert prefers to use a calculator.
Well, as long as they both get the right answers, who cares? There's more than one way to skin a cat.
4) To be a scaredy cat means to be afraid of everything.
Mary is such a scaredy cat. If I sneak up behind her and say "BOO" she jumps out of her skin and starts crying.
5) To take a cat nap = to sleep for a little while
I've learned to take cat naps between phone calls at work.

6) Copycats = to copy what someone else does, to imitate
I wore a pretty blue dress to school on Monday and by Wednesday, four other girls were wearing the same color dresses. What a bunch of copycats.
7) To look like something the cat dragged in = a total mess
He spent the night barhopping. When he got home he looked like something the cat dragged in. I told him to throw his clothes in the trash and take a shower AND a bath. Then I made him sleep on the couch. I wouldn't have touched him with a ten-foot pole.
The last sentence is another expression. When you say "I wouldn't touch that with a ten-foot pole," it means something is really disgusting and you wouldn't touch it even with a very long stick. [Something to be avoided.]

Intro & Outro Music: La Pompe Du Trompe by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

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