Almost everyone has heard of the phrase “Curiosity killed the cat” but most people don’t know where it comes from. What they don’t realize is that “Curiosity killed the cat” is only part of the expression. The whole idiom goes like this: “Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.”

So instead of being a warning that curiosity can get you killed, the real phrase is that curiosity can put you in unusual and potentially dangerous situations, but once you’ve satisfied your curiosity, you can safely come back.

Don’t worry about curious cats. They may put themselves in harm’s way but they will return safely afterwards, at least according to the full and complete idiom.

To learn more about the origin of “Curiosity killed the cat,” click here.