Fly the Coop, To
Definition: To escape or break free from confinement. The phrase conjures imagery of farmyard fowl making a run (or flap) for freedom from a chicken coop.
Barnyard Level Backstory: 🐔 This expression, rich with imagery of barnyard escapology, hatched in the American vernacular around the year 1900. None other than the king of plot twists, O. Henry, enlisted it in 1909: “On the third day I flew the coop.” Fast forward a few decades, detective tales like those penned by Harry Kemelman plucked it for use in 1966’s Saturday the Rabbi Went Hungry: “This man ran off . . . flew the coop, beat it.”
Related Terms:
- Break free
- Make a run for it
- Bust out
- Bolt for freedom
- Skedaddle
Synonyms:
- Escape
- Abscond
- Flee
- Elope
- Fly the nest
Antonyms:
- Stay put
- Remain
- Stick around
- Hold fast
- Stick to the coop
Humor-Filled Tidbit:
“You know why the chicken flew the coop? It went to tweet others about its hen-credible adventure!”
Literary References:
- O. Henry, “The Enchanted Profile” (1909)
- Harry Kemelman, “Saturday the Rabbi Went Hungry” (1966)
- Suggested Reading: Escape from Alcatraz by J. Campbell Bruce
Musical Notes:
- “Born to Run” by Bruce Springsteen 🎸
- “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor 🌟
- “Free Bird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd ⭐️
Cinematic Escapes:
- The Great Escape (1963) 🏃🏼♂️
- Chicken Run (2000) 🐓
- Shawshank Redemption (1994) 💪🏽
✌️ In the words of famed escapists: “Freedom is just another word for making a grand, feather-plumed exit.” ☀️
