My cat gets on kicks like this

[JACEK1]

Hello everyone.

Best Answer: My cat gets on kicks like this, they like the gravy best, and since he was never denied fresh food, he knows I will keep giving it to him. Cats are smarter than anyone really thinks. After a while I stopped feeling bad and just gave him dry food, he ate when he got hungry enough, and then I started giving him tablespoons of his wet several times a day. He was so happy to get his treat he ate it all.

Does "My cat gets on kicks like this" mean "My cat loves eating food like this"?

What do you think?

Thank you.

Source: https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071220232144AA9mKz2

 

[JACEK1]

https://answers.yahoo.com/question/i...0232144AA9mKz2

 

[Rover_KE]

kick

n. 14

a strong but temporary interest, often an activity
Photography is his latest kick.

(Collins)

 

[emsr2d2]

The first part might just contain a typo. "My cat gets its/his/her kicks like this" works.

 

[JACEK1]

Taking into account all your remarks and information, does the sentence mean that "My cat takes pleasure in (eating) some sort of food" or "My cat derives pleasure from (eating) some sort of food?

 

[Raymott]

Yes, that seems to be the intended meaning. But the sentence itself does not mean that, since "get on kicks" is not a meaningful phrase.

Edit: From the discussion by Americans that this means something else in AmE, the above is not accurate.

 

[Skrej]

'Gets on kicks' is meaningful and common enough in AmE. It means to go on a particular kick periodically, with said definition of 'kick' from post #4.

Every few months, Tom gets on a health food kick, then gives it up after a couple of weeks.

 

[Lynxear]

Taking into account all your remarks and information, does the sentence mean that "My cat takes pleasure in (eating) some sort of food" or "My cat derives pleasure from (eating) some sort of food?

I checked out your source for this post of yours and found that you wrote post it accurately. That person may have had the best answer to the question but it was hardly based on grammar.

"My cat gets on kicks like this..." is poorly worded slang. A "kick" is doing something that is pleasurable. So when you are "on a kick", you are doing something that is pleasurable for a short while. In the case of the cat's meals, the cat might really like one meal for a while at the exclusion of all other meals.

Multiple "kicks" does not necessarily mean you are doing that same pleasurable thing over and over again, that is what a single "kick" is.

Multiple "kicks" are just many types of pleasurable experiences. In the case of the cat that "gets on kicks like this", it may love one meal for a while then suddenly abandon it for another meal that pleases it.

The term "kicks" is not a new expression. I am reminded of an old American rhythm and blues song titled "Route 66". It was about traveling along Route 66, an interstate highway in the USA. One of the lines in the song's lyrics was "Get your kicks on Route 66,". This song was written in 1946 but was covered by many musicians.

So this slang term is over 70 years old.

The song is still sung today. But in my opinion the best version is sung and played by Billy Branch and Sugar Ray Norcia. Here is a link to the song to listen to how this term was used in a song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZLM8DXjD2w

 

[emsr2d2]

'Gets on kicks' is meaningful and common enough in AmE. It means to go on a particular kick periodically, with said definition of 'kick' from post #4.

Every few months, Tom gets on a health food kick, then gives it up after a couple of weeks.

In BrE, that would be "Tom goes on a health [food] kick ...". In that phrase, "kick" refers to a short period of a specific activity. However, unless he's really enjoying it, he's not getting a kick​ out of it.

 

[Skrej]

"My cat gets on kicks like this..." is poorly worded slang. A "kick" is doing something that is pleasurable. So when you are "on a kick", you are doing something that is pleasurable for a short while. In the case of the cat's meals, the cat might really like one meal for a while at the exclusion of all other meals.

The term "kicks" is not a new expression. I am reminded of an old American rhythm and blues song titled "Route 66". It was about traveling along Route 66, an interstate highway in the USA. One of the lines in the song's lyrics was "Get your kicks on Route 66,".

I disagree completely that in the original context it has the meaning of 'love something' or 'something pleasurable. To 'get your kicks' is completely different from 'gets on kicks'. In view of that, I don't consider the OP as poorly worded.

In BrE, that would be "Tom goes on a health [food] kick ...". In that phrase, "kick" refers to a short period of a specific activity. However, unless he's really enjoying it, he's not getting a kick​ out of it.

AmE English could use either 'goes on' or 'gets on'. 'Gets on' has perhaps more of a note of disapproval or admonishment, although either version is kind of expressing mild dismay or resigned acceptance.

Think of 'gets on a kick' akin to getting on a horse/bicycle, etc. The idea is that you're temporarily riding out this instance of whatever kick you're currently on.

Perhaps it's something more regional than general AmE, but it's commonly used where I'm from. I probably use 'go on' and 'get on' equally, although I've never honestly thought about frequency until typing this.