I’m Fixing to Smell a Rat

I’m fixing to smell a rat.

The expression “I smell a rat,” is similar to saying “this smells fishy.” Both of these phrases insinuate something just feels wrong, but a person isn’t able to precisely put his or her finger on what it might or could be.

It has been written that the origin of the expression is uncertain, but that the theory behind it could involve a cat being able to smell a rat in spite of being unable to actually see the rodent.

Most often when folks smell a rat it’s involved with the law, business, politics or matters of the heart.

In a recent court case, after it was alleged that the judge, in reference to an insufficiency of evidence being presented said, “ I smell a rat!”

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After a recent downturn in sales, the owner of a business discovered some of his private documents about a new processing chip for computers had gone missing, while noticing at the same time one of his former employees had gone to work for one of his competitors whose business was booming, he said he smelled a rat!

But politics is the arena where someone is most often heard to say,” I smell a rat!”

It’s easy to get politics confused with the law because most politicians are lawyers.  In a recent race for a particular office when the incumbent, after hearing discouraging poll numbers on the news said, “I smell a rat!” 

The challenger was immediately heard to say, “It takes one to smell one!”

This rat smelling in politics is nothing new.  Way back in 1787 when Patrick Henry, a politician who was also an attorney, received an invitation to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, he immediately became suspicious that this convention’s ambition was a movement to a stronger central government and declared, “I smell a rat!”

When Henry said the quote that made him famous, “Give me liberty or give me death!” I’m not sure what kind of liberty he was speaking of.  He was the father of 17 children, so it could have been liberty from his three wives he was desiring, although I don’t think he was married to them at the same time.

With 17 children I fail to see how he had time to smell anything, but obviously he did.  Henry suspected that this convention called by Congress to consider how to amend the Articles of Confederation, would try to do much more than tinker with minor problems but would take the opportunity to completely overhaul the government, which is exactly what they did.

Now some modern-day political rat smelling seems to be going on.  If anyone remembers, back in 2010 the Democrats in Congress pushed the enforcement of the employee mandate up to 2014, so it wouldn’t be an issue in the presidential election.

If you have been living in a cave, or you are a low-information voter, you might not know that this mandate specifies that any business with at least 50 full time employees must begin providing them with health care or face some very stiff penalties. 

Just before the July 4 holiday weekend the executive branch of the government, without the participation of Congress, pushed the enforcement date of the mandate up another year so that once again it would not take effect until after another election—this one being the 2014 mid-term elections.

Understandably, some folks are saying, “I smell a big fat rat!”

Now we come to matters of the heart, as far as rat smelling goes.  And perhaps matters of the heart have more severe consequences on a person’s life than matters of the law, business or politics.

I know it did in the case of my Cousin Elroy when his sweetheart, who had told him she had the mumps, showed up at the prom with another date.

After her third dance with her new date, Elroy looked at me and sadly said, “I think I smell a rat!”