Origin of 'Chicken'?

russruss | 16:12 Thu 02nd Sep 2004 | Phrases & Sayings

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The often used phrase 'Chicken' to denote someone with no courage has been around for years - where/how did the expression originate?

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Well, put it this way... When was the last time your neighbourhood was terrorised by a maurading chicken?

The earliest-recorded use is in Shakespeare's 'Cymbeline', but it was 'reintroduced' as American slang in the 1930s.

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