feed the kitty

feed the kitty idiom
Contribute money to a pool or reserve, as in I can't make a big donation this year, but I'm willing to feed the kitty something. This term, originating in gambling, incorporates a pun, since kitty can mean “cat” as well as “pool.” [Late 1800s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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