Hen–Figures of Speech– 11-31

hen-roost  =  a rich source of unlawfully or forcefully gained goods (things)

12.

clocking hen  =  a woman who is readily willing to have a family of her own

13.

a hen sit [said of a situation where a guest, usually a woman, sits for a long time, especially who overstays unmindful of her hosts’ inconvenience]

14.

nest of hens  =  a group of many young women

15.

as feckless as a hen  (‘feckless’ = impractical, something that can be done or put in practice)

16.

as rare (or scarce) as hens’ teeth  =  something that is very rare of difficult to get

17.

smile like a hen’s tooth [an expression used to express ‘not at all’]

18.

(a)  as mad/silly as a wet hen

(b)  as mopey/wanton as a wet hen (‘mopey’, adjective, of mope = sad, in dull mood; ‘wanton’ =  immoral, wants to have sex]

19.

as quiet as a sitting hen

20.

to cackle like a hen laying a square egg [said of someone who makes a lot of noise for no good reason]

21.

as busy/fussy/proud as a hen with one chick [a comment on too much unwanted or unnecessary activity for some little or easy work]

22.

as ruffled as a hen with chicks  (‘ruffled’ = disturbed,  annoyed, vexed)

23.

as nice as a nun’s hen [said of a person’s genteel but difficult to please nature]

24.

(a)  not care a hen

(b)  not worth a hen

25.

to put a hat on a hen  =  to try to do some impossible task

26.

to act the white hen  [said of a women who behaves in such a way to make people think that she is more important than really is]

27.

a son of the white hen [said of someone with more luck]

28.

like a hen on a hot griddle  =  restless, impatient  (‘griddle’ =  a metal surface, a pan)

29.

a black hen can lay a white egg [said to mean that there is hope of a bad person turning good or doing good deeds]

30.

it’s a bad hen that cackles in your house and lays (eggs) in another’s [said of a man’s dishonest and unfaithful wife]

31.

when the hen goes to the cock, the birds (chicks) may get a knock [said to mean that when a widow with children remarries, the children face hard times – the children have difficulties]