yardbird

yardbird

1. slang A chicken. Primarily heard in US. Uncle Tom has a yardbird in the smoker, if you want to come round and join us for supper later.

2. dated slang An inexperienced or untrained soldier, especially one who is assigned menial tasks, such as cleaning. Primarily heard in US. They always give the worst jobs to us yardbirds.

3. dated slang Someone who is lacking formal training or education in some field, profession, or activity. Primarily heard in US. I somehow landed a job teaching at a local community college. But I always felt like a bit of a yardbird there compared to the men and women with fancy degrees.

4. dated slang A hobo. Primarily heard in US. Last I heard from him, he was riding boxcars around the Pacific Northwest with some yardbirds.

5. dated slang A convict or prisoner. Primarily heard in US. Keep an eye on that one, Steve. He always acts suspicious when he's out with the other yardbirds. Makes me think that he's up to something.

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

yardbird

1. n. a convict. Who’s the yardbird with the headphones on his noodle?

2. n. an inept soldier. (Military.) How many of you yardbirds would like to go home in one piece?

McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.