Naked as a jaybird

Posted by ESC on May 19, 2005

In Reply to: Naked as a jaybird posted by Martin on May 19, 2005

: What is the origin of "naked as a jaybird"?

From a previous reply of mine in the archives:

: : : It seems to me that someone said baby jaybirds are especially featherless. Anyway, the Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang, Volume 2, H-O by J.E. Lighter (Random House, New York, 1997) says: "naked as a jaybird, stark naked." It lists as a couple of citations: 1893 James "Mavrick" 27: He will have the humbug qualifications of cow-boy stripped from his poor worthless carcass so quickly that he would feel like a jay bird with his tail feathers gone. 1922 in DARE: I gwi' strip nakit ez a jaybu'd befo' 'e fedduh' grow!

• Naked as a jaybird Abe 20/May/05