“En catimini” is a French expression that means furtively, stealthily, on the sly or discreetly. It dates back to the second half of the 14th century.

The word “catimini” is often linked to the Greek word “katamenia” which means menstruation. The idea being that women of the era kept their menstrual status largely to themselves.

However there is another possible source which comes from the region of Picardy and its Picard language. In the Middle Ages, cats were considered hypocritical animals who used stealth and pretense to hide their attacks. The word “cate” was Picard for cat and “mini” was similar to a modern French word “minou,” which is a common name for a cat in French.

Neither of these sources can be verified 100%, so the exact origin of “en catimini” remains uncertain.

English equivalents of this French saying include “behind closed doors,” “by stealth,” “in secret,” “on the sly,” “on the down low” and “on the quiet.”

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