catbird seat
An enviable position, often one of great advantage.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“She is in the catbird seat for the promotion.”
“With the lowest prices in the market, our company is currently in the catbird seat.”
“Since you are the only person who knows how to fix the server, you are in the catbird seat during these salary negotiations.”
“By securing the exclusive contract before her competitors, she found herself in the catbird seat, dictating the terms of the entire merger.”
first recorded 20th c.
The expression emerged in the 19th-century southern United States, where it likely referred to the gray catbird, *Dumetella carolinensis*. The term gained broader prominence in 1942 through James Thurber's short story, *The Catbird Seat*, and was subsequently popularised by the baseball commentator Red Barber, who frequently applied the phrase to the sport.
James Thurber attributed the origin to the Ptilonorhynchidae, a family of Australian birds. In this account, the male assembles a collection of several hundred coloured rocks or shells to construct a seat. The resulting artistic display serves as a throne for his mate, who is positioned to overlook their surroundings.
- 01
box seat
A favorable vantage point.
- 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.
- 03
have a seat
A polite directive to sit down
- 04
in the driver's seat
Having the most important role in a storyline or recognition. Of primary importance.
- 05
ringside seat
Any vantage point providing an excellent view.
- 06
take a back seat
To adopt a position of noninvolvement.
- 07
take the front seat
to take priority
Last updated August 10, 2026