France’s national bird is the rooster. I’d bet that “Chicken” and “Cowardice” became synonymous around WW2 when France surrendered to Hitler. Dammit, now I’m gonna have to look that up…
Nope, guess I was wrong. The expression started centuries before that.
The first example we have of chicken meaning a coward comes in 1600: William Kemp’s Nine Days’ Wonder: “It did him good to have ill words of a hoddy doddy! a hebber de hoy!, a chicken! a squib.”
Adiraiju over 7 years ago
Yeah but until he plays “chicken” with one of the cars…
up2trixx over 7 years ago
France’s national bird is the rooster. I’d bet that “Chicken” and “Cowardice” became synonymous around WW2 when France surrendered to Hitler. Dammit, now I’m gonna have to look that up…
up2trixx over 7 years ago
Nope, guess I was wrong. The expression started centuries before that.
The first example we have of chicken meaning a coward comes in 1600: William Kemp’s Nine Days’ Wonder: “It did him good to have ill words of a hoddy doddy! a hebber de hoy!, a chicken! a squib.”
The WW2 thing must just be a coincidence
ChessPirate over 7 years ago
One way or another, chicken’s going to get to “the other side”…
Germanshepherds4ever over 7 years ago
Bird brain!
RonnieAThompson Premium Member over 7 years ago
Happy Father’s Day My Friends.