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Chicken Little

What is chicken little?

· Emily Grant

Key facts

Type European folk tale[1]
US name Chicken Little[1]
Other names Henny Penny, Chicken Licken[1]
Central phrase The sky is falling![1]
Dictionary meaning One who warns of or predicts calamity especially without justification[2]

Chicken Little is a European folk tale about a chicken who believes the sky is falling, and in modern English, an idiom for someone who warns of calamity without justification.

Context

Chicken Little is a European folk tale, known in the United States as Chicken Little and sometimes as Henny Penny or Chicken Licken, about a chicken that believes the world is coming to an end after thinking the sky is falling [1]. In modern English, 'Chicken Little' is also an idiom for a person who warns of or predicts calamity, especially without justification [2]. The story is also described as a children's fable about a young chicken who believes the sky is falling after an object hits its head [3]. The Disney film Chicken Little is a 2005 American animated science fiction comedy film loosely inspired by the folk tale [4].

Documented claims

  • The phrase 'The sky is falling!' has passed into English as a common idiom indicating a hysterical or mistaken belief that disaster is imminent. [1]
  • The term 'Chicken Little' is used idiomatically in the US for a person who constantly warns that a calamity is imminent. [4]

Questions and answers

What does 'chicken little' mean in slang?

In slang, 'Chicken Little' refers to a person who constantly warns that a calamity is imminent, often without justification [4].

What's the story behind Chicken Little?

It's a European folk tale about a chicken who believes the sky is falling after an object hits its head, and the phrase has become a common idiom for a mistaken belief that disaster is imminent [1].

What is Chicken Little famous for saying?

Chicken Little is famous for saying 'The sky is falling!' [1].

Sources

  1. CHICKEN LITTLE Definition & Meaning — merriam-webster.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  2. CHICKEN LITTLE Definition & Meaning — dictionary.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  3. Chicken Little definition in American English | Collins English Dictionary — collinsdictionary.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  4. Chicken little meaning in Hindi - चिकन मतलब हिंदी में - Translation — dict.hinkhoj.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)

Sources last checked August 3, 2026. · More in Entertainment