Mad as a Wet Hen

Here's another interesting idiom.  And I'm not so sure it really is accurate.  I mean, I've seen wet hens before and they weren't angry.  Maybe it has something to do with the origins of the saying. Again, I'm not so sure on this but it's cute.

Seems like when hens get into the "I'm gonna hatch me some eggs" mindset it takes a lot to get 'em out of it.  Even if you gather all the eggs. So, what you do is dunk her in a bucket of water.  Now, it takes several times for this to change her mind and apparently after the third or fourth dunking she gets seriously ticked off. But at least she goes back to laying instead of sitting around.

So, while Mad as a Hatter tends to mean crazy, Mad as a Wet Hen mends very angry.  Don't you just love March Madness!

Picture by Linda Silvestri.