Naked as a jaybird is a synonym for “naked as the day one was born. The latter expression is easy to interpret but it is unclear why a jaybird (usually called a jay) is associated with nakedness. However, the expression joins many other idiomatic ways of describing nudity in English.
Meaning of Idiom ‘Naked as a Jaybird’
To be naked as a jaybird means naked; completely unclothed. 1,2,3
Sentence Examples
Also expressed “as naked as a jaybird.”
“My mother in law just walked in on me while I was getting out of the shower. I was naked as a jaybird!”
“I once lost a bet and had to run down the street as naked as jaybird.”
“Say, now. That pink picture…that’s a naked woman, ain’t it? Plumb stark naked as a jaybird.” — Oklahoma! (1956)
“I took in a movie. A piece of filth featuring a blonde harlot who spent half the film naked as a jaybird.” — The Simpsons: Homer Defined (1991)
Naked as a Jaybird Origin
First recorded in English in 1843, this idiom replaced a mid-19th-century version, naked as a robin. In both cases, the allusion is unclear as both birds are covered in feathers. Also curious is the use of the term jaybird when the bird being referred to is usually called only jay. “Naked as a jay” is never used. 4
There are, however, many ways English modifies the word naked, such as buck naked, stark naked. There are also some very old Middle English expressions like naked as a worm and naked as a needle. Some of these expressions may invoke an emotional or moral reaction to a state of nudity. Others serve to illustrate the naturalness of the nude state. The choice of expression depends on the circumstances, and often, the subject. When worms, needles, or birds are used, there seems to be less sexual or moral connotation. Whether or not a bird is a good choice for the simile, it does represent something seen in nature. 5
The precise origin of the idiom, though, remains a mystery.
More Animal Idioms
More Idioms Starting with N
More Bird Idioms
More ‘Naked’ Idioms
References- Ammer, Christine. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.
- Spears, Richard A. McGraw-Hill’s American Idioms Dictionary. Boston: McGraw Hill, 2008.
- Morton, Mark Steven. The Lover’s Tongue: a Merry Romp through the Language of Love and Sex. Insomniac Press, 2003.
- Ammer, Christine. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.
- Morton, Mark Steven. The Lover’s Tongue: a Merry Romp through the Language of Love and Sex. Insomniac Press, 2003.