The American expression “angrier than a wet hen” refers to the furious temper of chickens in water. The phrase is common in rural communities and implies extreme anger. It should not be confused with “crazy like a hatter” which refers to insanity. Other expressions related to chickens include “putting all your eggs in one basket” and “fussing like an old hen.”
If you like to keep your cool, there’s little chance you’d like to be angrier than a wet hen. This American expression, possibly originating in the Appalachian Mountains, refers to the stormy temper of chickens that might accidentally find themselves in water. According to some accounts, chickens get very upset if they have to try to swim or fly out of the water, as they do neither of these things well. Don’t expect your pet chicken to be anything but furious if you suggest a trip to the lake or a visit to a nearby swimming pool.
There are several variations on the phrase. It can be written or pronounced as “madder ‘na wet hen” or “madder than an old wet hen”. That last sentence wouldn’t make much sense, since hopefully an “old” hen would know how not to attempt to swim if she could help it.
While the phrase appears to have originated in the American South, it seems to proliferate in the Midwest as well. It seems especially common in rural and farming communities, or formerly rural communities where undoubtedly the behavior of chickens is well known. The phrase implies more than furious, though. If the hen is mad, you’re even madder, so you’re really furious.
Crazier than a wet hen shouldn’t be confused with phrases like crazy like a hatter. In the second sentence, mad refers to insane, not angry. The former is specifically about temperament and not sanity, and the use of mad to mean angry is more American than British. People in the UK are unfamiliar with the phrase and may interpret it to mean that you feel very crazy indeed.
Either way, avoiding such situations where you might get too angry is probably a good rule of thumb. There are actually a number of expressions that come from the behavior of chickens, such as putting all your eggs in one basket, fussing like an old hen, grooming the roost, and standing up with the hens. Without a doubt, if you rage more than a wet hen, people are likely walking on eggshells around you.
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