Cat’s paw
In nautical terms, a cat’s paw is the pattern of ripples on the water’s surface caused by a light breeze. It is also a knot used in sailing to connect a rope to an object.
For carpenters, it is a tool used to extract nails.
For people wishing to use others for nefarious means, a cat’s paw is a dupe, a mug, a fool. The latter meaning derives from the tale of the monkey and the cat.
In the 17th century Jean de la Fontaine wrote many fables, including ‘Le singe et le chat’. The monkey in the tale persuades his friend the cat to retrieve roasting chestnuts from the embers of a fire. The monkey promises to share the spoils with the cat. As the cat pulls out the nuts, burning his paw in the process, the monkey quickly eats them. Their exploits are disturbed by the maid and so the cat gets nothing for his pains, other than sore paws.
