What it means
Used to say something is brilliant, the absolute best of its kind. It's a Jazz Age bit of slang that sounds delightfully daft now, so it's often dropped with a wink, but it can be proper praise too. Pull it out when you're feeling nostalgic or when amazing just doesn't cut it. Same vibe as the bee's knees.
Usage examples
"That little coffee gaff round the station is the cat's pyjamas, mate. Flat white was so good I tipped the barista my last biccie."
"Have you seen her new bike? She thinks it is the cat's pyjamas."
"That little jazz club is the cat's pyjamas, best night out in years."
"That vintage record player is the cat's pyjamas, honestly. Sounds warm as toast and twice as lovely."
"You turned up in that velvet suit thinking you were the cat's pyjamas, and fair play, you kind of were."
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Where it comes from
This is genuine 1920s American slang from the Jazz Age. It grew out of a playful craze for nonsense praise phrases like the bee's knees and the cat's whiskers, where silly pairings meant something was top drawer. By the mid 1920s, the cat's pyjamas was already showing up in print.
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