Phrase guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
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noun
An enviable position, often one of great advantage.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US, idiomatic
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
The expression, as it was in use in the 19th century in the southern United States, may originate in regard to the gray catbird (Dumetella carolinensis). It was featured in the 1942 short story "The Catbird Seat" by James Thurber, and popularized by baseball commentator Red Barber, and often referred to baseball. The expression, according to James Thurber, comes from the observation of the catbird (an Australian bird) of the family Ptilonorhynchidae. Some of the male birds will assemble several hundred colored rocks or shells, arranging them in a remarkable artistic display, in order to build a "seat" atop which his mate will eventually be enthroned.
