These negative traits have led to the informal meaning of rat, "hateful person," "liar," or "double-crosser." You can also use rat as a verb to mean "betray or snitch on."
The denotation of rat is "a long-tailed rodent." The connotation of rat is usually negative because a rat is found in dark and dirty places.
Slang. a person who abandons or betrays their party or associates, especially in a time of trouble. an informer. a scab laborer.
a sexually unfaithful man, especially one whose infidelity involves more than one affair: She's a lot less trusting of men since her second husband turned out to be as much of a love rat as her first.
rat on somebody
to tell someone in authority about something wrong that someone else has done Where I come from, you don't rat on your friends. Someone ratted us out to the police.
It's unclear exactly why people started to use rat in this way, but there are some possible explanations. Rat, as an epithet, has long referred to many different kinds of dishonorable people. Before calling someone a “rat” meant calling them an informant, it signified a drunkard, a cheating husband, or a pirate.
Rats In Literature And Art
Many tales have symbols of rat greed, selfishness, and dishonesty. The themes of transfiguration and rebirth are prevalent in rodent mythology. The symbology may be seen as a sign that individuals entrenched in their old ways or routines are ready to make a significant change.
A rat is a symbol of riches, procreation, and fertility. This is because they multiply rapidly and in large numbers and are always finding large amounts to eat. Positive character traits of a person born under the sign of the rat can be; forthright.
In western tradition, the rat is also held as a metaphor for betrayal, as in the verb “to rat,” or “[t]o desert one's party, side, or cause… to turn traitor” (OED 2a), or as in the noun, “[a] police informer; an informer in a prison” (OED 4f).
And if you see a white rat in the temple amongst all the black and brown rats, that's said to be the highest symbol of luck. But you don't actually have to see them in the flesh. If you see rats in dreams, a positive happening is coming your way, according to Chinese and Hindu interpretations of dreams.
If someone called me a rat, I would either confront them on it or simply distance myself from them. You owe it to yourself to be treated right by others. This doesn't mean you have to force everyone to treat you like royalty, but you deserve a fair amount of respect from those around you.
On this page you'll find 65 synonyms, antonyms, and words related to rat, such as: betrayer, blabbermouth, canary, double-crosser, fink, and informant.
The Replacement, Amplification, Transformation (RAT) framework is a technology integration model and assessment tool that instructors can use to critically consider how their integration of technology in their classrooms serves their students and themselves.
Rat Symbolism & Meaning | Spirit, Totem & Power Animal. Rat represents cunning, resourcefulness, and survival.
In Japanese culture, rats were seen as industrious and admired for their ability to find food even in hard times. They are one of the twelve Asian zodiac animals that make up Japan's 12-year lunar calendar, which was adopted from China.
A person who is timid and shy can also be called a mouse.
Rats helped to spread the plague through fleas they carried and (while that was not well known back then) as people died, rats became more aggressive to find food for themselves… contributing to fear of them.
Detailed research clearly shows rats cut deals and trade different favors with one another (they follow "tit-for-tat" when trading grooming for food, and food for grooming); know when they've forgotten something; dream of a better future (just as humans do); display empathy for other rats by reading pain in their faces ...
WASHINGTON (AP) — New experiments show that rats, despite their selfish reputation, don't act like, well, rats. Instead, rats can be compassionate.
But there is no mention of rats in the Biblical account, only of crop pests, `mice that mar the land' (1 Samuel, 6:5). In any case, nobody then could possibly have known of rat or flea vectors. The first person known to have connected dead rats with human plague deaths was the Chinese poet Shih Tao-nan (ce 1765-1792).
Some people consider rats adorable and enjoy keeping them as pets. Others have a strong fear of rodents (musophobia). Most interpretations of rat dreams revolve around anxiety, obstacles in life's path, and insecurity surrounding finances or personal relationships, according to Sleep Bubble.
As a Spirit Animal Guide, Mouse comes to symbolize the careful use of resources, whether it's regarding finances, personal energy, or emotional output. Mouse's presence means it's time to monitor what you're consuming.
Rats are famous for being able to chew through things—soft concrete, wood, plastic, aluminum, and cinder blocks are no match for these rodents. Their love of chewing is due, in part, to the fact that their teeth never stop growing.
What do the rats symbolize in 1984? Rats symbolize Winston's greatest fear. This fear is used against him by O'Brien, who tortures him with a cage of rats over his head so that he finally gives in.
I Smell a Rat Meaning
Definition: Something is suspicious. Someone will use this phrase when he or she thinks something is not quite right in a situation. Usually, the person doesn't know what is wrong exactly. Rather, he or she has a general sense or feeling of suspicion.