猫(ねこ)の手(て)も借(か)りたい

ねこのてもかりたい
expression
desperately short-handed
idiom
1. even want to borrow a cat's paws; desperately busy
So extremely busy that one would accept any help available, even from a cat (whose paws are useless for work). Describes a state of being overwhelmingly short-handed.
年末(ねんまつ)は猫(ねこ)の手(て)も借(か)りたいほど忙(いそが)しい。
At year-end, we're so busy we'd even borrow a cat's paws.
人手(ひとで)が足(た)りなくて、猫(ねこ)の手(て)も借(か)りたい状況(じょうきょう)だ。
We're so short-staffed that we'd take any help we can get.
イベント前日(ぜんじつ)は猫(ねこ)の手(て)も借(か)りたいぐらい準備(じゅんび)に追(お)われた。
The day before the event, we were so overwhelmed with preparations that any help would've been welcome.

Usage: This expression vividly describes extreme busyness or being desperately short-handed. The humor comes from the absurdity of wanting help from a cat, whose paws are clearly useless for human tasks.

Common patterns

Cultural note: This expression reflects the Japanese work culture where being extremely busy is common, especially during certain seasons like 年末(ねんまつ) (year-end), 決算期(けっさんき) (fiscal closing), or before major events.

Similar words

Related Words

Compare: てんてこ舞(ま)い (frantically busy)
Compare: 目(め)が回(まわ)る (so busy one's head spins)
Compare: 手(て)が足(た)りない (to be short-handed)
general
Added 2026.1.17 14:25 · Revised 2026.9.2 12:02
06000/06215_nekonotemokaritai