feathers Idiom

horse feathers

lies, false stories, bull, a bunch of malarkey "When she told her dad she saw a ghost, he said, ""Horse feathers!"""

ruffle your feathers

annoy you, bother you, get your dander up Don't let that insult ruffle your feathers. Don't let it upset you.

ruffle one's feathers

Idiom(s): ruffle one's feathers

Theme: ANNOYANCE

to upset or annoy someone. (A bird's feathers become ruffled if it is angry or afraid.)
• You certainly ruffled Mrs. Smith's feathers by criticizing her garden.
• Try to be tactful and not ruffle people's feathers.

make the feathers fly

Idiom(s): make the fur fly AND make the feathers fly

Theme: INCITE

to cause a fight or an argument; to create an uproar (about something). (Informal.)
• When your mother gets home and sees what you've done, she'll really make the fur fly.
• When those two get together, they'll make the feathers fly. They hate each other.

Feathers fly

When people are fighting or arguing angrily, we can say that feathers are flying.

Get your feathers in a bunch

If you get your feathers in a bunch, you get upset or angry about something.

Ruffle a few feathers

If you ruffle a few feathers, you annoy some people when making changes or improvements.

Fine feathers make fine birds.

A person can look impressive in smart clothes.

fine feathers do not make fine birds|bird|birds|fe

literary A person who wears fine clothes may not be as good as he looks.

A proverb. Mary is pretty and she wears pretty clothes, but she is very mean. Fine feathers do not make fine birds.
Compare: HANDSOME IS AS HANDSOME DOES.

fuss and feathers|feather|feathers|fuss

n., informal Unnecessary bother and excitement. She is full of fuss and feathers this morning.

horsefeathers!

n. phr., slang 1. Not true; I don't believe what you're saying. "Horsefeathers!" Brad cried. "I can't believe a word of what you said about Jessica." 2. Exclamation of disgust. "Horsefeathers!" Fred cried. "We've just missed the bus."
Compare: FIDDLESTICKS, BULLSHIT.

make the feathers fly|feather|feathers|fly|make

v. phr., informal 1. To enjoy working; be strong and work hard. When Mrs. Hale did her spring cleaning she made the feathers fly. 2. See: MAKE THE FUR FLY.

make the fur fly|feather|feathers|fly|fur|make|mak

v. phr., informal Say or write mean things about someone or to jump on and fight hard. A man fooled Mr. Black and got his money. Mr. Black will really make the fur fly when he finds the man. Mrs. Baker's dog dug holes in her neighbor's garden. The neighbor really made the fur fly when she saw Mrs. Baker.

ruffle feathers|feather|feathers|ruffle|ruffle one

v. phr. Insult or disturb slightly; offend. The author ruffled some feathers by his portrait of his hometown.

fuss and feathers

fuss and feathers
Needless commotion and display, as in There was so much fuss and feathers over the award ceremony that I decided not to attend. This expression probably survives because of its appealing alliteration. [Mid-1800s]

ruffle someone's feathers

ruffle someone's feathers
Annoy or offend someone, as in Calling him a tightwad really ruffled his feathers. This term alludes to the stiffened, upright feathers of an angry bird. [Mid-1800s]