A cat-lick is a quick, cursory wash — the kind you give yourself when you are in a rush and full bathing is not on the agenda. The phrase evokes the image of a cat methodically cleaning itself with short, efficient strokes of the tongue. In British households the term is used affectionately and without judgment, acknowledging that sometimes a splash of water and a quick rub with a flannel is all the situation calls for.
He had five minutes before the taxi arrived, so a cat-lick and fresh shirt would have to do.
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(UK, idiomatic) A quick wash.
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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
See all Regional & Other slang on Slangora.