chicken colonel
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of chicken colonel
An Americanism dating back to 1945–50
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In 1944, when many of his West Point classmates�including Omar Bradley and Dwight Eisenhower�had won general's stars, Van Fleet was still a chicken colonel commanding a regiment.
From Time Magazine Archive
"What we got was real pros," says a regular chicken colonel at Phan Rang.
From Time Magazine Archive
Of his classmates, a dozen or more had won stars while Van Fleet was still a chicken colonel.
From Time Magazine Archive
"Sergeant," the chicken colonel barked, parading into the office.
From The Plague by Keller, Teddy
But good heavens," a chicken colonel moaned, "this is all so irregular.
From The Plague by Keller, Teddy
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
