tough titty said the kitty

English

Etymology

Chosen for the rhyme. The image is of a kitten suckling at the mother cat's teat, hence the references to milk in the extended variants. First use appears c. 1974. See citation below.

Interjection

tough titty said the kitty

  1. (humorous) Synonym of tough titty (“hard luck; too bad”).
    • 1974, Journal of Canadian Fiction, Volume 3, page 39:
      Marv's conversation usually dealt in wise cliches like "Tough titty said the kitty, but the milk's already sour.

Usage notes

  • Sometimes further elaborated into various phrases involving milk: "tough titty said the kitty..."
    • but the milk sure tastes good
    • but the milk's still good
    • but the milk tastes fine
    • when the milk went dry; etc.
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