the cat that ate the canary

Someone who is smugly pleased or self-satisfied. After her promotion, Janet spent the rest of the day looking like the cat that ate the canary. Look at those kids with their ice creams—the cats that ate the canaries!

the cat that ate the canary

Happy, often in a selfsatisfied way. Someone who was very pleased—and often smug—was compared to a house cat that figured out a way to liberate a pet bird from its cage and enjoy the aftermath.

See also: ate, canary, cat, that

Endangered Phrases by Steven D. Price

See also:

the cat that swallowed the canary
all-over oneself
fish-eating grin
pie-eating grin
coprophagous grin
stay hungry
smile like a Cheshire cat
smiling like a Cheshire cat
ate
ate up with someone/something

References in periodicals archive

They feel like the cat that ate the canary, sitting quietly in the corner hoping no one will notice.

A shift in thinking

A modest fellow, BP downplays the coup but a glint in the eye reminds one of the cat that ate the canary. Other BMWers privately admit to being astonished at their good fortune.

Honk if you are global

词组	the cat that ate the canary
释义	the cat that ate the canary the cat that ate the canary Someone who is smugly pleased or self-satisfied. After her promotion, Janet spent the rest of the day looking like the cat that ate the canary. Look at those kids with their ice creams—the cats that ate the canaries! See also: ate, canary, cat, that Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. the cat that ate the canary Happy, often in a selfsatisfied way. Someone who was very pleased—and often smug—was compared to a house cat that figured out a way to liberate a pet bird from its cage and enjoy the aftermath. See also: ate, canary, cat, that Endangered Phrases by Steven D. Price See also: the cat that swallowed the canary all-over oneself fish-eating grin pie-eating grin coprophagous grin stay hungry smile like a Cheshire cat smiling like a Cheshire cat ate ate up with someone/something References in periodicals archive They feel like the cat that ate the canary, sitting quietly in the corner hoping no one will notice. A shift in thinking A modest fellow, BP downplays the coup but a glint in the eye reminds one of the cat that ate the canary. Other BMWers privately admit to being astonished at their good fortune. Honk if you are global
随便看	be with somebody in spirit (be) with you in a minute (be) with you in a moment be witness to something be worked up be worked up about (something) be worked up over (something) be working overtime be worlds away be worlds/a world away be worn to a frazzle be worried sick be worse off be worth it be worth its/(one's) weight in gold be worth (one's) while be worth your/its weight in gold be worth your weight in gold bewottled be wrapped up in somebody/something be wrapped up in (someone or something) be wringing (one's) hands be wringing your hands be written all over (one's) face be written all over somebody's face