Meanings
alternative like a chicken with its head off · alternative like a chicken with no head · alternative like a headless chicken · alternative like a headless chook
- informalIn a frantic, disorganized manner.
I've been running round like a chicken with its head cut off.
1920, Harold MacGrath, chapter 27, in The Drums Of Jeopardy4 more examples
His idea of it was that he had been making a fool of himself, running around like a chicken with its head cut off—such was the simile that occurred to him.
c. 1900, Jack London, To Build a FireKen played or essayed to play right field for a while, but he ran around like a chicken with its head off.
1911, Zane Grey, chapter 9, in The Young PitcherSays one Pentagon arms-control expert: "Our setup was actually designed to act in time of general war like a chicken with its head cut off. The brain could be destroyed and the nervous system severed. Then the military muscles would just jerk in uncontrolled spasms."
1962 December 28, “Nation: New Fail-Safe”, in TimeRushing around like a chicken with its head cut off would serve no purpose.
2003, Linda Lael Miller, Shotgun Bride, →ISBN, page 121
Translations
Chinese 像只没头苍蝇一样
- 像只没头苍蝇一样 (xiàng zhī méi tóu cāng ying yí yàng)in a frantic, disorganized manner
Dutch als een kip zonder kop
- als een kip zonder kopin a frantic, disorganized manner
Finnish kuin päätön kana
- kuin päätön kanain a frantic, disorganized manner
German kopflos
- kopflosin a frantic, disorganized manner
Greek σαν την άδικη κατάρα
- σαν την άδικη κατάρα (san tin ádiki katára)in a frantic, disorganized manner
Polish bez głowy
- bez głowyin a frantic, disorganized manner
Russian как ку́рица с отру́бленной голово́й
- как ку́рица с отру́бленной голово́й (kak kúrica s otrúblennoj golovój)in a frantic, disorganized manner
Spanish como pollo sin cabeza
- como pollo sin cabezain a frantic, disorganized manner
Cite this entry
like a chicken with its head cut off. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/like%20a%20chicken%20with%20its%20head%20cut%20off
“like a chicken with its head cut off.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/like%20a%20chicken%20with%20its%20head%20cut%20off. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “like a chicken with its head cut off,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/like%20a%20chicken%20with%20its%20head%20cut%20off.
Source: like a chicken with its head cut off on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.