student asking question

Is “chicken” usually used as a swear word? Or does it become bad word because “butt” come before “chicken”?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

No, "chicken" is not usually used as a swear word. The phrase "butt chicken" was made-up for the show, which is something that this show does very often. The real phrase is "chicken butt", which isn't a nice phrase, but it isn't really a swear word. It's a phrase that kids might call each other in a joking way. However, the phrase "chicken butt" is a bit old-fashioned, and not as common to say nowadays. What is said more frequently is the word "chicken". If you call someone a "chicken", it means you think they are too afraid to do something. The word "chicken" in this context is rude, but it's not a swear word. Ex: He won't accept the dare because he's a chicken. Ex: She's too chicken to learn how to drive.

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