A Little Bird Told Me

That means that a person doesn't want to reveal their sources for information. It's usually said light-heartedly in casual conversation.

Now why someone decided to use a bird in the idiom is up for debate. The idiom also doesn't explain or imply what species of bird it is. There are a number of other idioms having to do with birds: 1) A bird in hand... 2) Giving someone the bird...

We have a very colorful language.

Get Your Feathers in a Bunch

That means you got upset or ticked-off about something. This is usually the type-A, high-strung kind of person who reacts to something that's not going their way. I see that in both 3-year-old's that haven't gotten a nap and adults who never grew up and got past this stage.

I've also seen the term "Getting your undies in a bind".

The response you can give these people is, "Chill out!" No wait... I've been in this state before, so I shouldn't be talking too loud. I guess the things that set me off are 1) being late for an important appointment, 2) forgetting to return my library books before they're due 3) losing my 3-year-old in a crowd of 200,000.

Safe and Sound

That means nothing has hurt or harmed you; or free from risk, harm or danger. This is typically after an outing or journey.

I know my mom has always been a worry-wart (hey another idiom!). She made sure we put our gloves on in the winter or else freeze to death. She also made sure to feed and over-feed us for fear of starvation. And when we travelled from one town to another, she would call us up to make sure that we didn't die in a crash. Her latest concern is Bird-Flu (wash your hands) and terrorist (stay away from big crowds and events and don't travel).

Oh well. I feel Safe and Sound now.

Mad As A Badger

This means as cantankerous or ill-tempered as a badger. In other words, someone who's crazy.

Coming from the state of Wisconsin, our Mascot, Bucky the Badger, is far too nice and tame to fit this description. But I know from reading up on badgers, they are animals you may not want to mess around with.

WikiPedia has a nice synposis: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badgers

Sounds like level-headed creatures to me. But don't get caught in their jaws.

http://www.canadianfauna.com/badger.php

Cute aren't they?

Each To Their Own

Each person has their own preferences or sentiments.

I guess it's similar to the other idiom, "Different Strokes for Different Folks". I know in Austin Powers, Fat Bastard says that, "Everyone likes their own brand," after letting a big one rip. Guess that's the advantages of having freedom -- you can say what you say and do what you do.

Call The Shots

Means you are in charge and you can tell people what to do.

I think this is an idiom that you would use at work. But any situation where you would be in a position of authority would qualify.

I've had a few opportunities for this when leading a project at work. I've also ran a few musical gigs, having to coordinate other players. I would also think in a sports situation where someone has to make a judgement, would have to "Call The Shots".

Babe In Arms

Babe in Arms: a very young child such as an infant, or a person who is very young to be holding a position.

I also found reference to a 1937 theater musical called "Babes in Arms" with music by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart. Actually has one of my favorite songs "My Funny Valentine". Looks like it's been redone 1939 as a movie, a recording in 1951, an album of the same name in 1983 by MC5.

Gotta love the search engines for that. I learned something new!

Quest for idioms - incoherent rambling

Now my next obscession is finding new idioms and sayings. Each language is unique in that respect.

It be interesting getting collaboration in this area. Various people who may contribute their expertise and opinion.