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| Feather. |
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Meaning species or kind. From the proverb, “Birds of a feather”—i.e. of the same plumage, and therefore of the same sort. | 1 |
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| “I am not of that feather to shake off |
| My friend, when he must need me.” | |
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Shakespeare: Timon of Athens. i. 1. |
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Feather. A light, volatile person. | 2 |
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| “A wit’s a feather, and a chief a rod; |
| An honest man’s the noblest work of God.” | |
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Pope: Essay on Man, 247–8. |
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A broken feather. (See BROKEN . .) | 3 |
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An oiled feather. Kindness of manner and speech. An oiled feather will do more to ease a stubborn lock than great force. (See Power’s Tract called The Oiled Feather.) | 4 |
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Birds of a feather flock together. | 5 |
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Latin: Similes similibus gaudent. Pares cum paribus facile congregantur. Cicero says, “Deos novimus ornatu et vestitu.” | 6 |
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French: Qui se ressemble, s’assemble. | 7 |
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In full feather. Flush of money. In allusion to birds not on the moult. | 8 |
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In grand feather. Dressed to the nines. | 9 |
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In high feather. In exuberant spirits, joyous. When birds are moulting they mope about, but as soon as they regain their feathers their spirits revive. | 10 |
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Tickled with a feather. Easily moved to laughter. “Pleased with a feather, tickled with a straw,” is more usual; Rire de la moindre bagatelle. | 11 |
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Also annoyed by trifles, worried by little annoyances. | 12 |
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| “From day to day some silly things |
| Upset you altogether; |
| There’s nought so soon convulsion brings |
| As tickling with a feather. |
| ‘Gainst minor evils let him pray |
| Who Fortune’s favour curries; |
| For one that big misfortunes slay, |
| Ten die of little worries.” | |
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Sims: Ballads of Babylon (Little Worries). |
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Cut a feather. A ship going fast is said to cut a feather, in allusion to the ripple which she throws off from her bows. Metaphorically, “to cut a dash.” | 13 |
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“Jack could never cut a feather.”—Sir W. Scott: The Pirate, xxxiv. |
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To show a white feather. (See WHITE … .) | 14 |
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