# "Mad as a chicken with lips" **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 6, 2003, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-as-a-chicken-with-lips/180069 "2003-06-06T13:27:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-as-a-chicken-with-lips/180069/1 "2003-06-06T13:27:37Z")
In todays’ IMDB news, Paul Bettany describes Lars von Trier as “mad as a chicken with lips.” What a fabulous expression! Has anyone heard it before? Can you top it? (This is truly an M and P thread, since I am starting it merely to repeat the expression, “mad as a chicken with lips.” My life has been transformed with this new addition to my vocabulary of invective.) ---
**Author:** ![Second\_Guest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/87869e/32.png) [@Second\_Guest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Second_Guest)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-as-a-chicken-with-lips/180069/2 "2003-06-06T14:16:10Z")
Not to nitpick, but what does it _mean_? “Mad” as in crazy? Angry? And would having lips cause that reaction in the chicken or is it the other way around? It _is_ a magnificent expression (as are most involving poultry), but only until you stop to analyze it. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-as-a-chicken-with-lips/180069/3 "2003-06-06T14:38:18Z")
I dunno. I’m usually thrilled to have lips on my pecker. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-as-a-chicken-with-lips/180069/4 "2003-06-06T14:44:20Z")
Mad as in crazy (as is clear in the context of the story [here](http://us.imdb.com/PeopleNews/) – scroll down to “Odd Start…”). Now, as to which came first, the chicken’s lips or the chicken’s madness, I’ll leave that to those more cognizant than I of the nature of the psychodynamics of fowl self-image. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-as-a-chicken-with-lips/180069/5 "2003-06-06T14:47:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Second Guest \* > \*\*Not to nitpick, but what does it _mean_? “Mad” as in crazy? Angry? And would having lips cause that reaction in the chicken or is it the other way around? > > It _is_ a magnificent expression (as are most involving poultry), but only until you stop to analyze it. \*\* Why stop to analyze it? What’s the point of that? It’s a neat metaphor. Let it remain at that. ---
**Author:** ![Second\_Guest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/87869e/32.png) [@Second\_Guest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Second_Guest)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-as-a-chicken-with-lips/180069/6 "2003-06-06T16:02:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by twickster \* > **Mad as in crazy (as is clear in the context of the story [here](http://us.imdb.com/PeopleNews/) – scroll down to “Odd Start…”).** OK. It makes perfect sense now. Thank you. > [@](#): > > \*\*Now, as to which came first, the chicken’s lips or the chicken’s madness, I’ll leave that to those more cognizant than I of the nature of the psychodynamics of fowl self-image. \*\* I’ve had a foul self-image for as long as I can remember, yet this conundrum leaves me completely baffled. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-as-a-chicken-with-lips/180069/7 "2003-06-06T16:07:12Z")
> [@](#): > > **]OK. It makes perfect sense now.** After all, why would a chicken be _angry_ about having lips? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Roadwalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@Roadwalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roadwalker)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-as-a-chicken-with-lips/180069/8 "2003-06-06T16:19:38Z")
I would call this a simile not a metaphor. My favorite had beed Madder than a wone-legged man at a butt-kickin’ contest. I remember there being a lot of good ones on the DBMD a while ago, including wall paper hangers and berry pickers. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-as-a-chicken-with-lips/180069/9 "2003-06-06T17:58:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by twickster \* > \*\*After all, why would a chicken be _angry_ about having lips? 😉 \*\* Well, when you have to peck the dirt to get your meal and instead of a brisk “peck, peck, peck” you go “smoosh, smoosh, smoosh”… I dunno, I’d be pissed. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mad-as-a-chicken-with-lips/180069/10 "2003-06-06T18:03:13Z")
I’d been thinking Miss Prissy (Foghorn Leghorn’s lady friend) wore lipstick, which would tend to mean she had lips, but apparently I was wrong about that. It must be for the reason **Eats\_Crayons** has suggested. Ain’t nature grand?