IdiomAnimals
English
Englishchicken out
Meaning: To become too frightened to do something; to lose one's nerve.
Example: “I was going to ask her to dance, but I chickened out at the last second.”
Origin: Built on the same association as the adjective "chicken" for cowardly, which traces back through "chicken-hearted" (1602) to hens historically standing for timidity against the boldness of the rooster. Turning that adjective into a verb — an action rather than a description of character — is the more recent step: backing out of something at the last moment specifically because your nerve failed you, the way a hen was assumed to.
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- dog-eat-dog Ruthless, competitive, and fast-paced.
- dog days of summer Very hot days.
- eat crow pie To humble oneself because one has been proved wrong.
- fat cat A rich but usually lazy person.
- fine kettle of fish A terrible mess.
Explore another collection: Proverbs
Short sayings of timeless wisdom from more than 50 cultures, each with its meaning and origin.
- The tongue's not steel, yet it cuts. Words inflict wounds as deep as any blade, leaving scars that heal far more slowly.
- The tongue talks at the head's cost. Reckless speech brings consequences the speaker must bear, not those who merely listen.
- Who has not a good tongue, ought to have good hands. Lacking eloquence in speech, one must compensate through skilled physical labor or useful…
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