naked as a jaybird

Idioms  

1. Bare, unclothed, as in I came straight out of the shower, naked as a jaybird. This simile replaced the 19th-century naked as a robin and is equally unclear, since neither bird is normally stripped of its feathers. Further, the bird it refers to is more often called simply “jay” rather than “jaybird,” yet the latter is always part of the simile. [c. 1940]

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Example Sentences

They have nothing to lose and they’re literally telling the emperor, “You’re naked as a jaybird, man.”

From Slate • Mar. 15, 2018

The folks had told the white folks I wasn't no account, so I couldn't get nothing only just a little fat meat and bread, and I got as naked as a jaybird.

From Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves Arkansas Narratives, Part 1 by Work Projects Administration