Dressing a chicken
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (375917)
Rockingham, Australia
March 30, 2026 2:16am CST
I hope I haven’t written about this before but if I did it was a long time ago. Searching for words I might have used didn’t help so here goes.
Have you ever thought that it’s a funny saying to ‘dress a chicken’? After it’s killed you ‘dress’ it by removing the feathers and the innards. It’s then a ‘dressed chicken’. Surely it would be more correct to call it ‘undressed’. What do you think?
I always get confused with ‘drawing the curtains’. Does it mean to draw them together or draw them apart? I think it’s the former but I’m not sure.
The photo is of dressed poultry in a shop window in Thailand. Vince took the photo. I think they might be ducks but they look gross displayed like this. It would put me off buying one.
11 people like this
12 responses
@snowy22315 (205332)
• United States
5h
Then of course there is dressing for the chicken, otherwise known as stuffing.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (205332)
• United States
5h
@JudyEv My mom's stuffing was enjoyable too. Did your mom put raisins or chestnuts in it?
@DaddyEvil (170784)
• United States
7h
I'm used to seeing either whole raw chickens on display or a whole roasted one but not splayed out like that. I agree, it looks disturbing like that.
There are a lot of English words that don't mean what it sounds like they mean. Take "enervate" for example. It means to drain someone of energy but sounds like you're charging someone up instead. 
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (217709)
• United States
10h
Drawing the curtains could be drawing a picture of them. lol
2 people like this
@wolfgirl569 (131963)
• Marion, Ohio
5h
I agree about the chickens. It doesn't make sense. As far as drawing the curtains I think it's closing them
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (95849)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
Just now
I almost thought you wanted to dress a real hen 
Plus I know people say Dress the turkey," and I keep expecting a turkey with a cap on its head.
Plus I know people say Dress the turkey," and I keep expecting a turkey with a cap on its head.
@Fleura (34421)
• United Kingdom
9h
I remember a storybook I read as a child where someone is left to house-sit with a list of instructions about 'drawing the curtains' and 'putting the lights out' and things like that and they do all the wrong things. Language is funny.
It also changes over time. We don't tend to say 'put the light out' any more.
1 person likes this
@Traceyjayne (9402)
• United Kingdom
2h
I hadn’t heard dressed chicken before.
Draw the curtains ….you pull them together.
