Dressing a chicken
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (381755)
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.
16 people like this
16 responses
@LindaOHio (222222)
• United States
30 Mar
Drawing the curtains could be drawing a picture of them. lol
5 people like this
@snowy22315 (208746)
• United States
30 Mar
Then of course there is dressing for the chicken, otherwise known as stuffing.
2 people like this
@snowy22315 (208746)
• United States
30 Mar
@JudyEv My mom's stuffing was enjoyable too. Did your mom put raisins or chestnuts in it?
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (381755)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Mar
@snowy22315 No. I've never seen chestnuts here. They would have been very exotic back then.
1 person likes this
@Orson_Kart (8250)
• United Kingdom
31 Mar
I’ve dressed up as a chicken at a fancy dress do. No innards removed, thankfully! 
Draw the curtains means to close them. I can’t recall if there is a reverse phrase for opening them, other than “open the curtains”. English is a strange language, isn’t it. 
EDIT: I think “draw back the curtains” is the reverse of “draw the curtains” In fact, I’m sure it is. 
Draw the curtains means to close them. I can’t recall if there is a reverse phrase for opening them, other than “open the curtains”. English is a strange language, isn’t it.
EDIT: I think “draw back the curtains” is the reverse of “draw the curtains” In fact, I’m sure it is. 1 person likes this
@Orson_Kart (8250)
• United Kingdom
31 Mar
@JudyEv Cute? Yeah, definitely!
I think I’ve told you this joke before, but it’s a good one, so I’ll tell you again. 
If it wasn’t for blinds, it would be curtains for all of us.
I’m here all week. 
I think I’ve told you this joke before, but it’s a good one, so I’ll tell you again.
If it wasn’t for blinds, it would be curtains for all of us.
I’m here all week. 1 person likes this
@JudyEv (381755)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Apr
@Orson_Kart I miss you when you're away. Then suddenly you pop up again. Where do you go to? (I should add 'my lovely' to that - and you don't have to tell me.)
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169406)
• United States
30 Mar
I half expected you to post a chicken in a dress. I think of drawing the curtains or drapes as closing them.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (381755)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Mar
Haha. They put dresses on dogs so why not chickens.
I think you're right about the curtains.
I think you're right about the curtains.
@FourWalls (86573)
• United States
31 Mar
We're silly in our choice of terminology, aren't we. Why do we call a bunch of crows a murder?
There's a funny meme on Facebook that has a sign that says "draw bridge," and a man is standing near it with a sketch pad drawing one!
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (86573)
• United States
1 Apr
@JudyEv — yes, although modern governments do not reflect the wisdom associated with owls!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (381755)
• Rockingham, Australia
2 Apr
@FourWalls Unfortunately that's very true.
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (174208)
• United States
30 Mar
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
@RasmaSandra (97912)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
30 Mar
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.1 person likes this
@Fleura (34927)
• United Kingdom
30 Mar
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
@BACONSTRIPSXXX (18025)
• Torrington, Connecticut
1 Apr
That chicken looks mighty fine
1 person likes this
@Traceyjayne (11252)
• United Kingdom
30 Mar
I hadn’t heard dressed chicken before.
Draw the curtains ….you pull them together.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (381755)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Mar
I would have thought a dressed chicken was pretty common but it's never good to assume these things. lol
@wolfgirl569 (135583)
• Marion, Ohio
30 Mar
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
