Where did the phrase a little birdie told me come from?

The phrase has a somewhat contentious origin: some attribute it to Ecclesiastes 10:20 “Do not revile the king even in your thoughts, or curse the rich in your bedroom, because a bird in the sky may carry your words, and a bird on the wing may report what you say.” Another explanation is a simple allusion to carrier …

What does it mean when someone says a little bird told me?

Definition of ‘a little bird told me ‘ said to mean that you are not going to say how you found out about something or who told it to you. This expression is considered old-fashioned in American English. Incidentally, a little bird told me that your birthday’s coming up.

Is a little bird told me in the Bible?

A little bird told me. This “little bird” implies a secret or private source of knowledge. Most authorities believe in a Biblical origin, found in Ecclesiastes 10:20 which includes “for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter”.

When did a little bird told me originate?

What’s the origin of the phrase ‘A little bird told me’? The first that comes close to our current version of this phrase is Frederick Marryat, in Peter Simple, 1833: “A little bird has whispered a secret to me.” See other phrases and sayings from Shakespeare.

What does the Bible say about a little bird?

Matthew 6:26
← 6:25 6:27 →
Illustration of Matthew 6:26: the believer looks at the birds in the sky, that do not reap nor gather into the barns, and trust that the Father will provide. Print by Christoffel van Sichem (1629).
Book	Gospel of Matthew
Christian Bible part	New Testament

What word is little bird?

An unknown person. Often used in the phrase “a little bird told me,” in which the speaker does not want to reveal the source of the information.

Is birdie a real word?

a small bird. verb (used with object), bird·ied, bird·ie·ing. …

Why is a female called a bird?

The word was first a 19th-century term of endearment, ultimately from Middle English, in which bird could be applied to young living things in general, not merely the feathered variety. Since the Middle Ages bird could mean girl but that’s probably just a confusion amongst other words such as burd.

What does Thick and Thin mean?

: every difficulty and obstacle —used especially in the phrase through thick and thin was loyal through thick and thin.

What does cracks and crannies mean?

Everywhere, as in I’ve searched for it in every nook and cranny, and I still can’t find it. This metaphoric idiom pairs nook, which has meant “an out-of-the-way corner” since the mid-1300s, with cranny, which has meant “a crack or crevice” since about 1440.

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