ˈdicky-bird, dickey-bird colloq.
[dicky n. 3.]
1. a. In nursery and familiar speech: A little bird, such as a sparrow, robin, or canary-bird.
| 1781 H. Walpole Let. 2 Jan. (1904) XI. 354 The Sphinx was a harmless dicky-bird in comparison. 1820 T. Creevey Let. 23 Jan. in Creevey Papers (1903) I. xiii. 296 Lady Jersey..is like one of her numerous gold and silver musical dickey birds. a 1845 Barham Ingol. Leg., Knight & Lady, On tree-top and spray The dear little dickey-birds carol away. 1852 R. S. Surtees Sponge's Sp. Tour lxv, Others take guns and pop at all the little dickey-birds that come in their way. a 1869 Kingsley in Life (1879) II. 41 Gladly would I throw up history, to think of nothing but dicky-birds. 1886 J. K. Jerome Idle Thoughts 121 We do not sigh over dead dicky-birds with the bailiffs in the house. |
b. Applied dial. to particular birds: see quots., and cf. dicky n. 3.
| 1879 Cumbld. Gloss. Suppl., Dicky-bird, a general name for a canary. 1885 Swainson Prov. Names Birds 188 Oyster Catcher (Hæmatopus ostrilegus). Dickie bird (Norfolk). |
2. Rhyming slang for ‘word’. Also in shortened form dick(e)y.
| 1932 ‘P. P.’ Rhyming Slang 15 Word... Dicky bird. 1936 ‘M. Benney’ Low Company ii. 48 Didn't say a dicky bird, the poor girl didn't. 1943 M. Harrison Reported Safe Arrival 61, I give yer me dicky. 1963 J. Prescot Case for Hearing vii. 108 Never said a dicky-bird about doing the place myself. 1970 A. Draper Swansong for Rare Bird ix. 76 George didn't say a dicky bird when I ambled in. |