英語學習點: Pets and Politics Vocabulary 寵物和政治詞匯

Larry the cat is still top dog at Number 10 Downing Street.

The British Prime Minister's cat was brought in earlier this year after a large rat was seen running around.

But he has lately become tangled up in controversy. On Monday it emerged that a mouse had appeared at a Prime Ministerial dinner.

Then on Tuesday Larry was photographed sleeping on the job, as he took a nap during the arrival of ministers for their weekly cabinet meeting.

Has Larry become just another government fat cat? David Cameron's spokesman dismissed rumours that the tabby's predatory drive isn't as strong as it was believed – even though it has emerged that the PM had to throw a fork at a mouse during a recent dinner with ministers.

Larry isn't the first 'First Pet' to be dogged by controversy. George W Bush's dog Barney's pet hate seemed to be journalists. Being on a leash didn't prevent him from biting a reporter's finger.

But then, that's exactly the kind of loyalty a premier needs. Pets are steadfast, companionable and of course never let the cat out of the bag.

Indeed, in the dog eat dog world of politics, it must sometimes feel like a dog is not just man's best friend, but his only one.

In 1997, while Bill Clinton was himself in the doghouse for his affair with the White House intern Monica Lewinsky, he was photographed constantly in the company of his Labrador, Buddy. As the saying goes: "If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog".