Why do lots of men refer to women as “birds”? (2025)

I hear men of all different ages refer to a woman as a “bird”, where does this come from and is it okay to use?

In the local pub I often hear young and old men refer to their partners as birds. Normally it is something like “What do you want my bird?”, “My bird is at work” or “My bird will be here soon”.

Hello and welcome to the forum. You have your native language language as English - Scotland. Where is the local pub you are describing?

I associate the term 'bird' with the 1960's when it became very popular and was used as the British version of the American term 'chick'.

Maybe they still use it in Scotland but I've not heard it this century.

Chasint said:

Hello and welcome to the forum. You have your native language language as English - Scotland. Where is the local pub you are describing?

I associate the term 'bird' with the 1960's when it became very popular and was used as the British version of the American term 'chick'.

Maybe they still use it in Scotland but I've not heard it this century.

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Indeed - when mods and rockers were prominent

I live next to Glasgow but I have been all over the UK and have heard the terms “bird” or “birds” used frequently when referring to a woman or women.

I don’t hear “hen” or “pet” as much as I used to back in the 1970s.

Well it is still regularly used around the Glasgow area and I have also heard it used all over the UK.

I worked away about 10 years ago in London and the woman behind the pub I used to regularly go to after work was literally known as “the bird”.

Here's the answer from The Online Etymology Dictionary":
bird | Origin and meaning of bird by Online Etymology Dictionary

bird (n.2)

"maiden, young girl; woman of noble birth, damsel, lady, lady in waiting," also "the Virgin Mary," c. 1200, perhaps a variant of birth (n.) "birth, lineage," confused with burd and bride (q.q.v.), but felt by later writers as a figurative use of bird (n.1), which originally meant "young bird" and sometimes in Middle English was extended to the young of other animals and humans. In later Middle English bird (n.2) largely was confined to alliterative poetry and to alliterative phrases. Modern slang meaning "young woman" is from 1915, and probably arose independently of the older word (compare slang use of chick).

In the local pub I often hear young and old men refer to their partners as birds. Normally it is something like “What do you want my bird?”, “My bird is at work” or “My bird will be here soon”.

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How extraordinary!
If a man had referred to me as 'his bird', or addressed me as 'my bird', that would have been the last of him, with a slap on the face. I'm talking about the late 50's /early 60's. (I might have been quite pleased at some level, but that's beside the point!)
Apart from that general context, where did you get the familiar term 'pet' from?
Please explain this form of address in great, very convincing detail.

I have often wondered how different women perceive such terms.

I don’t think “bird” is as bad as many others. Again, I think it depends on the context. I hear men say the word in front of their partners and I have never heard any confrontations and I have been going to the same local pub for over 20 years.

When the term “pet” is used it is normally said in a somewhat sarcastic manner “oh come on pet...”

I don’t think I have ever heard a man start making a clicking noise and say “come on pet it is time to go”.

Just for the record, I have always referred to my wife as “the missus”, I rarely ever use her name.

Hermione Golightly said:

How extraordinary!
If a man had referred to me as 'his bird', or addressed me as 'my bird', that would have been the last of him, with a slap on the face. I'm talking about the late 50's /early 60's. (I might have been quite pleased at some level, but that's beside the point!)
Apart from that general context, where did you get the familiar term 'pet' from?
Please explain this form of address in great, very convincing detail.

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Regional and socioeconomic factors at play, I suspect

I'm sure it's being used. Otherwise, The Guardian won't have reported this in 2016.

...it’s little surprise that a new survey shows “bird” topping the list of “pet names” that British women would like banned from everyday use.

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Being called a bird is infantilising. Such terms hold women back | Hattie Garlick

The Urban Dictionary needs to be taken with a pinch of salt, but the 'top definition' given there labels the use as Scottish. But note also the spelling burd.

burd
scots slang for bird ( girlfriend!!)
did ya see ma burd fit aint she!!!!
by The girl March 18, 2004

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Urban Dictionary: burd

Burd also appears in dictionary.com.

burd
[burd]
noun, Chiefly Scot.
1. a young lady; maiden.

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the definition of burd

George, would you pronounce bird and burd differently? I know Scottish accents can make distinctions that speakers of other accents can't!

George Duncan Mc said:

Normally it is something like “What do you want my bird?”, “My bird is at work” or “My bird will be here soon”.

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That usage sounds strange to me. I'm more familiar with something like this:

"We're going to have to get someone else to do the job. That bird is bloody useless!"
"This bird I'm dating at the moment is the spitting image of Elle Macpherson when she was in her twenties. You'll have to meet her!"

You little ripper! said:

"We're going to have to get someone else to do the job. That bird is bloody useless!"
"This bird I'm dating at the moment is the spitting image of Elle Macpherson when she was in her twenties. You'll have to meet her!"

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Hello yLR,
Could you please let me what "bird" means in these examples? And, also please let me know whether this usage is purely Australian?

(I'm talking about your examples that I've quoted here.)

Lun-14 said:

Hello yLR,
Could you please let me what "bird" means in these examples? And, also please let me know whether this usage is purely Australian?

(I'm talking about your examples that I've quoted here.)

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Lun, it has the same meaning the one referred to by George in the OP (or 'chick' as mentioned by Chasint in Post 2). I've just heard it used a little bit differently.

When the term “pet” is used it is normally said in a somewhat sarcastic manner “oh come on pet...”

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How strange! Being a Geordie, I'm very familiar with 'pet' as a general form of address, men to women, women to men, regardless of age quite often as an endearment or friendly way of talking. Far from bothering me, I like it.

Any term of endearment can be used 'sarcastically' to soften unpleasantness, or patronisingly.

I've been called variously pet, petal, love and my duck. All of them were meant kindly and taken in that spirit. Why is burd/brid/bird seen so differently, I wonder?

In 1981, the Saddleworth rushcart was dedicated to the Bonny Brid (Lady Diana). Here's what that means, for non-Oldhamers...

Hermione Golightly said:

the one behind the Mix 'n' Match counter at Wooly's

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I used to work at Woolies, and knew that girl well. She was actually very sweet.

She was actually very sweet.

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Quite! That too.

natkretep said:

I'm sure it's being used. Otherwise, The Guardian won't have reported this in 2016.

...it’s little surprise that a new survey shows “bird” topping the list of “pet names” that British women would like banned from everyday use.

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It's definitely in use. Its resumed use seemed to appear alongside the backlash against political correctness. (With the idea of 'I'll say what I like!')
I actually always associate it with the dialect of South East England, and also Australian English [where I don't think it fell out of use?]. My boss was Australian, and she always used to say things like 'You know the bird down the shop...' I found that surprising because until that point I'd never heard a woman call another woman a 'bird' in that context.

In the South West people traditionally used the term of affection 'my love/my lover', but I remember a woman at work being outraged by the idea as she couldn't see it as a term of endearment, like the 'pet' term from the North East mentioned by Hermione. She could only hear the negative associations of men using 'love' to put down women. In the South West 'my love/lover' was used by men to women, but more interestingly, it was just as often used by women to women as well.

[Cross-posted with Lingo, who makes an interesting point.]

Hermione Golightly said:

a too pretty over-made-up girl with no brains, the one behind the Pic 'n' Mix counter at Woolie's.

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Better (possibly) the girl behind the Pic'n'Mix counter than [ahem]

George Duncan Mc said:

the woman behind the pub I used to regularly go to after work

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😧