He bides as fast as a CAT bound with a saucer

Insights

Profound Unreliability

The proverb describes someone who is fundamentally unreliable, flighty, and cannot be depended upon to remain in one place or honor a commitment. The 'binding' is so flimsy it is functionally non-existent.

Illusory Constraint

It represents a situation where a restraint, rule, or obligation is merely for show or is completely ineffective. The person is only feigning being bound by duty and will bolt at the first opportunity.

Ineffective Control

The saying mocks a naive or foolish attempt to control someone or something that is inherently independent. Using a saucer to bind a cat symbolizes a complete misunderstanding of the nature of what one is trying to manage.

Folk Symbolism

The proverb draws on the cat's symbolic association with independence and an untamable nature. The 'saucer,' likely implying a saucer of milk, represents a flimsy, inadequate tool of control, highlighting the absurdity of any attempt to bind the subject.

Cultural Parallels

The comparison to a cat being 'bound' by a pudding in a related proverb reinforces the theme. The 'binding' is actually a temporary temptation that, once consumed, leaves the subject free to depart. This suggests a self-serving and fleeting commitment.

Psychology of Unreliability

The proverb humorously captures the psychological concept of false compliance. An individual may appear to accept a constraint or promise ('bides as fast') while being internally poised to flee, revealing a fundamental lack of genuine loyalty or engagement.

Rhetorical Devices

Ironic Simile

The proverb's meaning is conveyed through a sarcastic simile. It states that someone stays as securely ('bides as fast') as something that is not secure at all, using absurdity to create a powerful ironic effect.

Absurdist Imagery

The mental picture of attempting to tie up a cat with a saucer is comical, absurd, and instantly memorable, driving the point home more effectively than a literal statement.

Symbolism

The 'cat' symbolizes an independent, untamable spirit, while the 'saucer' symbolizes a laughably inadequate method of control, giving the proverb a deeper figurative layer.