English Reference
Idiom idiom

spit feathers


To feel very thirsty.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

I have been working in the garden and I am spitting feathers.

CONTEXTUAL

After running five miles in the summer heat, I was spitting feathers and needed a drink immediately.

COMPLEX

The hikers had been walking through the desert for hours without water, and by the time they reached the oasis, they were all spitting feathers.


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    birds of a feather

    People having similar characters, backgrounds, interests, or beliefs.

  2. 02

    birds of a feather flock together

    People of similar character, background or taste tend to congregate or associate with one another; it is easier to establish friendships with people that one has a lot in common with.

  3. 03

    chew the meat and spit out the bones

    To take in a great deal of information and selectively disregard some of it as invalid or inapplicable.

  4. 04

    dummy spit

    The act of overreacting (as an adult) to a situation childishly, in an angry or frustrated manner.

  5. 05

    feather in one's cap

    An accomplishment; particularly one that is flaunted or boasted of.

  6. 06

    feather one's nest

    To achieve benefits, especially financial ones, by taking advantage of the opportunities with which one is presented; to amass a comfortable amount of personal wealth; especially, to do so to a degree that involves venality.

  7. 07

    feathered friend

    A bird.

  8. 08

    feathered oof-bird

    Any large, plentiful source or supplier of money.

Last updated August 10, 2026