So this morning (9/21/21) the US stock markets experienced a dead cat bounce.

If you do any type of investing, you’re acquainted with a dead cat bounce, even if you don’t know the term. A dead cat bounce means this: if a dead cat is dropped from high enough, it will bounce. Even if the animal is dead.

September is traditionally a bad month for the stock markets, and this year was no exception. The market has been going downhill almost since the beginning of this month. Then, sure enough, the markets opened up higher this morning. Up nicely, in fact. And they behaved well for about an hour or so, and then reliably dropped.

The dead cat bounced. But, being dead, the cat could do nothing more than bounce before it fell once again.

But what I want to talk about today is more than stock markets. It’s about the colorful but sometimes harsh phrases we use. Especially if you’re an animal lover.

There’s no question that – once you’re acquainted with the meaning – that a dead cat bounce plainly describes what happened this morning. But if you pause for a minute to ponder the phase, it’s kind of grim.

The cat is dead. What’s more, we’re discussing the cat’s dead body bouncing on the ground. Pretty grim if you’re any kind of animal lover.

Animal phrases are used a lot. “Elephant in the room.” “The lion’s share.” “Hold your horses.” “Pig-headed.” “Ants in your pants.”

All good phrases but none involving a dead animal.

A few years ago, one animal lover suggested changing “kill two birds with one stone” to something less violent. She suggested, “slice two potatoes with one knife.” Which is ok, but doesn’t quite have the kick.

Where do the language phrases come from? Actually, no one knows. We have guesses, but most of them are just that, guesses. And that’s how languages operate. Words – and phrases – come into common usage and we often don’t know from where or how. Languages certainly can and do change. But it’s an oddly organic way that it does.

So if you want to use an alternative phrase -animal based or otherwise – have at it. You may have to explain yourself a few times, and that’s ok. But me, I’ll stick with the dead cat bounce.

Only I’ll hope that tomorrow brings a bounce. This time a live cat, one that jumps, and hopefully stays up for a while.