Yes, I admit, I have a thing for chickens. So it’s understandable that this post by Bobulate’s struck a nerve: Chicken Wisdom.
Watching the common chicken can help us understand human behavior, evolution, and ethics:
Watching chickens is a very old human pastime, and the forerunner of psychology, sociology and management theory. Sometimes understanding yourself can be made easier by projection on to others. Watching chickens helps us understand human motivations and interactions, which is doubtless why so many words and phrases in common parlance are redolent of the hen yard: “pecking order”, “cockiness”, “ruffling somebody’s feathers”, “taking somebody under your wing”, “fussing like a mother hen”, “strutting”, a “bantamweight fighter”, “clipping someone’s wings”, “beady eyes”, “chicks”, “to crow”, “to flock”, “get in a flap”, “coming home to roost”, “don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched”, “nest eggs” and “preening”.
Also “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket”
“Hen pecked”
“Chicken scratch”
Feb 10th, 2010 / 2:41 pm
Reminds me of this anecdote:
President Coolidge and the First Lady were visiting a large chicken farming operation, and were being taken on separate tours. In the breeding area, the manager mentioned that each rooster was used to service a hen several times a day. The First Lady told the manager to please tell that to President Coolidge.
The manager did so. President Coolidge replied “Same hen every time?” The manager said, “No, different hen every time.” Coolidge then said “Make sure you tell that to Mrs. Coolidge.”
Feb 10th, 2010 / 2:42 pm
“Running around like a chicken with its head cut off.”
Feb 10th, 2010 / 6:25 pm
You must check out Savage Chickens. Post-It note chicken cartoons – you won’t be disappointed!
Feb 12th, 2010 / 4:54 pm