a little bird told me
I received the information from a source which I am not prepared to disclose.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“A little bird told me you got the job.”
“When she asked how I knew about the surprise party, I just said a little bird told me.”
“A little bird told me that the merger was imminent, though I could not reveal my source within the company.”
first recorded 16th c.
The concept of an avian informant is recorded in English sources from at least 1546. It suggests a certain lack of privacy that has long been a feature of the language, predating modern surveillance by several centuries.
Earlier precedents exist in other languages, most notably in the Bible. The King James Version of Ecclesiastes 10:20 warns against indiscretion, advising the reader: “Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bed-chamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.” The original Hebrew text from which this passage is derived is dated to between 450 and 180 B.C.E.
While the specific idiom remains of unknown etymology, the underlying principle is consistent. One is encouraged to remain silent, lest a passing creature of the air finds the information portable and the authorities find it interesting.
- 01
a little bit of bread and no cheese
Used to represent the song of the yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella).
- 02
a little from column A, a little from column B
A combination of two factors or reasons.
- 03
a little of something goes a long way
Only a small amount of something is usually required to produce a great effect.
- 04
all told
With everything included, counted, or summed; in total.
- 05
bird in the bosom
A secret pledge that one makes for another.
- 06
bird of ill omen
A person who brings bad news.
- 07
bird of one's own brain
One's own idea or conception.
- 08
birds and bees
Informal education about sex.
Last updated August 10, 2026