Not-enough-room-to-swing-a-cat Definition
noun
(idiomatic) Very little space (available) (of a very small room).
Wiktionary
Origin of Not-enough-room-to-swing-a-cat
While it is frequently stated that the phrase is derived from cat-o’-nine-tails, this latter term is only attested from 1695, and hence this idiom presumably derived from literally swinging a cat around, as by the tail.
From Wiktionary
Attested 1665, by which point already in common use; perhaps of naval slang origin.
From Wiktionary
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