text: The saying comes from the old days of the royal navy,when a \nsailor was being flogged the whip was known as a cat o'nine \ntails,this was due to the nine strands of plaited leather,knotted at the end which were attached to the stock;when all hands were called to witness punishment they had to stand a regulation 5paces from the master at arms who was doing the flogging,therefore he had to have eneough roon to "swing a cat"