themusecalliope Glossary: Chicken Poetry

In my family, and among my close friends, we have come up with many words and phrases that can only be understood by those in the know. So, I'm putting you wise.

Word/Phrase: Chicken Poetry

Origin: Even the origin of this phrase needs some background. I am a Librarian. My parents are (er, were...they're retired now...mostly) also librarians. Anyway, once upon a time my Father was working on the Reference Desk and he was approached by a patron with a reference question. It sounded like this patron was looking for Chicken Poetry. So, my Father searched. He consulted databases. He looked in books. All sorts of of research later, it came to light that that patron had, in fact, meant "Chicken Poultry." Le sigh.

Meaning: An interesting reference question.

Usage: Did you get any chicken poetry at work today?

Image Source: Answers.com (I used this picture of the Big Chicken for three reasons: 1) I couldn't find my picture, 2) I like the Big Chicken, and 3) It was more fun than just a pic of a Chicken.)