Walking the cat

[Laurence Horn]

At 6:23 AM -0400 6/1/10, Eric Nielsen wrote:
>This definition extends the cat metaphor:
>
>"Walk back the cat" is spy slang for retracing the train of evidence and
>assumptions until the double agent, the false source or the analytic error
>is identified. The cat unraveled the ball of string. Rewind the twisted yarn
>to find the flaw."
>
>  http://www.windsofchange.net/archives/004092.html
>
>Eric

Nice.  It all becomes clear, except for GAT's point about why it's
"walk back the cat" instead of "walk the cat back".  Maybe it's just
a way to get "the cat" into the stressed/focused position, at the
cost of a somewhat awkward construction.

It also provides a nice metaphorical image--walk back the cat, wag the dog.

LH

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