or cat’s-foot, subs. (common).—A dupe or tool. [A reference to the fable (Bertrand et Raton) of a monkey using the paw of a cat, dog, or fox, to pull roasted chestnuts off the fire, current in the sixteenth century, but varying considerably in details. The earliest printed version occurs in John Sambucus’ Emblemata (Plantin, Antwerp, 1564), where the sufferer is a dog, and not a cat. There is, however, a story of the same kind told (Maiol. Coll. vii., scil Simon Maiolus, Astensis, Episcopus Vulturariensis, Dies Caniculares, h.e. Colloquia XXIII., Physica, Collog. vii., p. 249, Ursellis, 1600) of Pope Julius II., 1503–13 (see Notes and Queries, 6 S., viii., 35.]
[1657. M. HAWKE, Killing is murder. These he useth as the Monkey did the CAT’S PAW to scrape the nuts out of the fire.]
1782. G. PARKER, Humorous Sketches, p. 140. They lug in Spain, to their assistance, a CAT’S-PAW made.
1815. SCOTT, Guy Mannering, ch. lvi. Sir Robert, who had rather begun to suspect that his plebeian neighbour had made a CAT’S-PAW of him, inclined his head stiffly.
1878. M. E. BRADDON, The Cloven Foot, ch. xli. He felt angry with himself for having been in some wise a CAT’S-PAW to serve the young man’s malice.
