Clip your wings

Posted by R. Berg on April 19, 2004

In Reply to: Clip your wings posted by Shae on April 19, 2004

: : Hi! Can you please tell me what this means and where it comes from? Thanks much, Sax

: It comes from the practice of clipping the primary flight feathers on a bird's wing to prevent it flying away. When applied to people, it means imposing some restriction on their activities.

I remember that from childhood, when my parents kept chickens. You cut off the tips of some feathers on one wing. (It doesn't hurt; it's like a haircut.) The bird can then only fly in small circles.

• Clip your wings (blackbird singing in the dead of night) Leanne 20/April/04