It's kittens

[KTD56]

Dear all,
may I ask you to clarify the meaning of this expression? It is in a sentence:

Sleep is everywhere. For some, it’s a luxury. For others – necessity. For some, it’s kittens.

I think it means it is a waste of time or something boring, am I right? I have searched the Internet for an answer but haven't found anything.
Many thanks for your help in advance.

 

[Rhye]

As far as I know, it's not a common/established expression, so I think we'll need the context of where you found these sentences in order to figure anything out.

 

[natkretep]

In BrE, you say someone has kittens if they are very angry, nervous or upset. I'm struggling to understand how to understand its use in your sentence. Maybe the author means people worry about being able to sleep.

 

[KTD56]

Thanks a lot, but that is all I have.:-(

 

[KTD56]

I think in the context (there is a video with a child eating something that they seem to not like too much) it must mean something bothersome... The whole video does not make much sense too me, unfortnately I am not allowed to place it here (it is being tranlasted now).

 

[RM1(SS)]

I read it as being something enjoyable.

 

[velisarius]

It's very puzzling. Maybe it's referring to the fact that cats sleep a lot, and kittens sleep even more. If it shows a young child, maybe it means "some people need a lot of sleep". (The actions of the people at the beginning of the video don't seem to have any direct connection with the spoken words. The listener has to make the connection.)

 

[PaulQ]

"Kittens" is a meme from the internet. "Kittens" means something that is (i) very cute (ii) delightful (iii) adorable, etc. The actual meaning is context-dependent. Sleep is everywhere. For some, it’s a luxury. For others – necessity. For some, it’s kittens. <- it is the perfect self-indulgence.

 

[KTD56]

Dear all,
many thanks for your help.

 

[Loob]

"Kittens" is a meme from the internet. ...

Can you give us an example, Paul?

 

[PaulQ]

Thousands: Google images Cute kittens. The connection has to be made. Kittens are the internet symbol for cuteness, loveliness, etc, etc. Why do people use the internet? Because kittens, says web inventor

Or on a more academic note, University of Michigan Professor Sheila Murphy notes that "The internet is kittens." The Internet is Kittens : Coming Soon

For some, it’s kittens. = For some, it’s the attributes of kittens as seen in popular culture.

 

[velisarius]

Paul, your links all relate to the plethora of kittens on the Internet. From that last link I see: "The Internet is overflowing with kitten-related content", which is true. But the sentence we are examining isn't about cute kittens on the Internet; it's about sleep. I don't really see any connection with the Internet meme when they write "For some it (sleep) is kittens...and for others it isn't."

The photo of the little girl being fed by a woman doesn't seem to have anything to do with "perfect self-indulgence" - or kittens or sleep, for that matter.

I'm not convinced; I continue to be puzzled.

 

[Loob]

Me too, veli.

 

[Kirusha]

I like PaulQ's interpretation. But I've found an example of "kittens" that I thought supported this interpretation, but now I'm having second thoughts.

" What? Music by Jeremy Soule? Music that sounds all the same no matter what game he works on unless you throw money at him to actually use real instruments? Composer that made prophecies music that is completely indistinguishable from TES4: Oblivion music?

Yeah, nah the music is kittens. The atmospheric tracks are good though! They probably should of hired a talented composer; or gave Soule some instruments."
(Guild Wars 2 Forum - Audio - Music in this game is incredible)

So if this example is anything to go by, "kittens" is something silly and self-indulgent. What do you make of it?

Here's another example that I'm having the greatest difficulty wading through:
"Sorry, Mike, you got the short straw first time around (and second?), but at least we got to meet again, amirite? Cause this book is kittens and you talk like sin and have moves for which Joe Thornton would give pause to study. You are control in the corners, good hands, dominating the defense and then your biscuit’s in her basket quite often! I think that on many nights you had hat tricks!"
(Weekend Pick Me Up: Deep Down by Elle Aycart)

And one more:
"I remember pretty much nothing about that book other than continually (naively) thinking "surely things must get a bit better for her now"... "

The main thing I remember about reading it is that I was in Africa at the time and the heat was so extreme that the glue melted and every time I turned the page it came out in my hand and I was like, "Oh well, I think this book is kittens anyway."
(Main Discussion

Much as I love kittens, I'm getting the impression that the meaning is negative rather than positive. I suggest we run an internet infiltration campaign to make sure "kittens" means "the ultimate in glorious self-indulgence".

 

[RM1(SS)]

Paul (post 8) did a good job of explaining what I said (post 6).

 

[PaulQ]

Paul, your links all relate to the plethora of kittens on the Internet. From that last link I see: "The Internet is overflowing with kitten-related content", which is true. But the sentence we are examining isn't about cute kittens on the Internet;

For some, it’s kittens. = For some, it’s the attributes of kittens as seen in popular culture.

 

[Loob]

And then there's "kittens" as the casualties of masturbation (Urban dictionary). Which seems to be just as much an 'internet meme' as Paul's suggestion.

Sorry, I still don't get it.

 

[Kirusha]

Loob, what do you make of the three examples I quote in #14?

 

[Loob]

All I can say is that I agree with you: in the contexts in your post 14 "kittens" is clearly negative.

I'm sorry not to be more helpful.

 

[Parla]

To me, the internet "is kittens" just refers to the fact that blogs and social media (and a lot of e-mails as well) are full of photos of really cute cats.

Sleep = kittens isn't something I've ever heard, and I don't get it.

 

[Parla]

I didn't get it either—but now, I do. Just Google this:
Sleep . . . for some it's kittens

You'll find a full page, with that heading, filled with photos of sleeping kittens.

 

[Loob]

Only if you look at google images. Not if you look at the hits for the words....

I'm afraid I still find it mystifying.

 

[Kirusha]

Another example to support the theory that "kittens" in some people's lingo means "silly", "sillily self-indulgent", "a mark of inane pop-culture":

"Smoking is kittens, I tried it to see and was just baffled why my friends went so bonkers for it. It doesn't do anything, smells icky and makes my lungs hurts.

Drinking, on the other hand, is a thing I do socially, but never in excess. I enjoy the slight buzz, and the taste of beer and I'm starting to become more brushed up on wine (excellent dinner accessory, I must say.)"
(Pink Poogle Toy Forum • View topic - Drinking and smoking)


Disclaimer. I strongly detest this usage. Kittens are cute.
Curiously, there's a subgroup in my language culture that use the Russian word for "kittens" in pretty much the same way, to refer to something that's shallow and not serious enough (in their opinion). I do hope they stay in the minority.

 

[Copperknickers]

I think I may have found the answer for some of the search results: apparently some internet forums use a filter which removes curse words and replaces them with the word 'kittens'.

 

[KTD56]

Wow, who would have thought my question woudl raise so many asnwers and such a discussion.. To be honest, I am now even morel puzzled. It does not make sense to me at all. I thought in that context it means something like "have kittens"because for some kids sleeping is really something not necessary, or bothering.. Thatś what some of my colleagues thought too.....

 

[Copperknickers]

Wow, who would have thought my question woudl raise so many asnwers and such a discussion.. To be honest, I am now even morel puzzled. It does not make sense to me at all. I thought in that context it means something like "have kittens"because for some kids sleeping is really something not necessary, or bothering.. Thatś what some of my colleagues thought too.....

That would certainly require the word 'have' in there somewhere, and besides doesn't make sense when applied to an abstract concept.

 

[Kirusha]

I think I may have found the answer for some of the search results: apparently some internet forums use a filter which removes curse words and replaces them with the word 'kittens'.

What word would it be? I keep on thinking of "crap", but it's not that coarse.

To be honest, I am now even morel puzzled. It does not make sense to me at all.

Could you tell us a little bit more about the context and the sort of video it is, KTD?

 

[Copperknickers]

What word would it be? I keep on thinking of "crap", but it's not that coarse.

I don't think that answer applies to the original question, only to some of the examples posted above.