Common Chicken Sayings

It is amazing to me that so many everyday sayings refer to chickens.  The following is a list of phrases referencing chickens.

Be chicken- to be afraid

Nest egg – to save a little money each week

Scratching out a living – to earn enough to get by on

Don’t count your chickens before they hatch – don’t plan on something before it actually happens.

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket – don’t plan on an outcome before it actually happens.

Chicken feed – small amount of money

Feather your nest – saving for the future

Hen house – large number of females living in the same house

Mother hen – very protective

Madder than a wet hen – very angry

Fussing like an old hen – angry

Scarce as hen’s teeth – extremely hard to find

Chick – a woman 

Hen-pecked – nagged

The rooster may crow but the hen delivers the eggs

Rooster games – willing to fight instead of trying to work out a problem

Flew the coop – gone

Up with the chickens – waking early with the sunrise

Walking on eggshells- treading softly where certain people are concerned; trying not to upset someone

Like a chicken with it’s head cut off – running around with no direction

Shake a tail feather – get moving

Strutting’ your stuff – Showing off

Bird brain – senseless

Dumb cluck – senseless

Ruffle your feathers – something annoys you

Chicken hearted – Not brave

No spring chicken – An old person

Hatch an idea – put a plan into motion

Egg on your face – caught in an untruth

Rule the Roost – to be the boss

Pecking order – hierarchy, your rank

Play Chicken – a stand off, who will give first

Brood over it – to worry over a problem

Chicken scratch – poor handwriting

Bad egg – less than honest person; poor moral standards

You have to break eggs to make an omelet – sometimes you need to make a mess to get something done

It’s not what it’s cracked up to be – disillusionment 

I hope you enjoyed this!  Happy Tuesday!