ENGLISH
REFERENCE

catbird seat

idiom
Meaning

An enviable position, often one of great advantage.


Origin

first recorded 20th c.

The expression, as it was in use in the 19th century in the southern United States, may originate in regard to the gray catbird (Dumetella carolinensis). It was featured in the 1942 short story "The Catbird Seat" by James Thurber, and popularized by baseball commentator Red Barber, and often referred to baseball. The expression, according to James Thurber, comes from the observation of the catbird (an Australian bird) of the family Ptilonorhynchidae. Some of the male birds will assemble several hundred colored rocks or shells, arranging them in a remarkable artistic display, in order to build a "seat" atop which his mate will eventually be enthroned.

Examples
SIMPLE

She is in the catbird seat for the promotion.

CONTEXTUAL

With the lowest prices in the market, our company is currently in the catbird seat.

COMPLEX

By securing the exclusive contract before her competitors, she found herself in the catbird seat, dictating the terms of the entire merger.

Anchors to
Related idioms7entries
  1. 01

    box seat

    A favorable vantage point.

  2. 02

    fly by the seat of one's pants

    To pilot an aircraft without the aid of instruments and without a flight plan, using only instinct, visual observation, and practical judgment.

  3. 03

    have a seat

    A polite directive to sit down

  4. 04

    in the driver's seat

    Having the most important role in a storyline or recognition. Of primary importance.

  5. 05

    ringside seat

    Any vantage point providing an excellent view.

  6. 06

    take a back seat

    To adopt a position of noninvolvement.

  7. 07

    take the front seat

    to take priority

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