Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(US) a women-only party or gathering.

1942		Berrey & Van den Bark Amer. Thes. of Sl. 94.7: Henfest, a dinner for women.
1968		in DARE.

1. large and small pewter pots.

1859, 1860		Hotten Dict. of Modern Sl. etc.
1861		(con. 1840s–50s) H. Mayhew London Labour and London Poor I 256/1: ‘Hens and chickens’ are a favourite theft [...] The hens and chickens of the roguish low lodging-houses are the publicans’ pewter measures; the bigger vessels are ‘hens;’ the smaller are ‘chickens’.
1874		‘Old Calabar’ Won in a Canter III 199: The ‘Hen and Chickens,’ the chief hostelrie of the village.

2. (US gambling) large or small stakes.

1935

A.J. Pollock Und. Speaks n.p.: Hens and chickens, willing to gamble for either big or small stakes.

(UK Und.) an effeminate or homosexual man.

c.1850

Duncombe New and Improved Flash Dict. n.p.: Hen-cock half man half molly.

(US) a women’s college.

1922		S. Lewis Babbitt 18: Oh, ain’t we select since we went to that hen college!
1989		H. Rawson Dict. of Invective (1991) 191: hen college (a women’s college).

1. a brothel.

1821		‘A Real Paddy’ Real Life in Ireland 50: Sal [...] would make little of spending ten pounds on a supper to welcome an old cock back to the hen-roost.
1855		Life in Boston & N.Y. (Boston, MA) 14 Apr. n.p.: A list of respectable shanties [...] A small ‘hen coop’ in Marks Lane.
1954		(con. 1940s) T.A.G. Hungerford Sowers of the Wind 203: There’s a do on up at the Hen-coop.

2. (US campus, also hennery) a women’s dormitory.

1900		E.H. Babbitt ‘College Words and Phrases’ in DN II:i 40: hen-coop, n. Dormitory for women students [...] hen-roost, n. The dormitory for women.
1906		J.W. Carr ‘Words from Northwest Arkansas’ in DN III:ii 140: hen-coop, hen-house, hennery, n. Young women’s dormitory. ‘The hen-coop’s just full up with girls.’.

3. (US) a beauty parlour.

1922

Edwardsville Intelligencer (IL) 14 Sept. 4/4: The Flappers’ Dictionary [...] Hen coop: A beauty parlor.

a fight between two (occas. more) women.

1961		C. Himes Pinktoes (1989) 177: Big Burley was not one to be cheated out of his glory by a hen fight.
1988		M. Atwood Cat’s Eye (1989) 354: There’s something titillating about it [...] Henfighting, it’s called.

see hen house n. (1)

a man who is dominated by his wife.

c.1850

Duncombe New and Improved Flash Dict.

see separate entry.

(US) a man who is seen to be over involved in household affairs and similar ‘women’s concerns’; thus an effeminate man; also as v.

1887		Tuapeka Times (Otago) 24 Sept. 6/7: [headline] Men who Hen-Hussy about the Kitchen.
1890		DN 1.74: Hen-hussy [...] a man who concerns himself overmuch with household matters or housekeeping [DARE].
1942		Berrey & Van den Bark Amer. Thes. of Sl. 405/2: Effeminate man...hen-hussy [DARE].

(US Und.) a women’s prison.

1960

C. Cooper Jr Scene (1996) 128: Next month you’re doing twenty to life in the hen mill.

1. a women-only get-together; thus hen, an attendee.

1879		‘Lady Pokingham’ in Pearl 5 Nov. 23: ‘Victoria, give us a little party in your room to-night?’ ‘Yes,’ she answered. ‘But only a hen party; ourselves and Corisande.’.
1887		W. Westall Her Two Millions Ch. xxvii: As it was a ‘hen party’ to which his wife had gone he had no wish to present himself at the Gibsons' pension before ten.
1900		Bulletin (Sydney) 13 Jan. 11/3: The hen picnic […] is not a success, partly because a limp young man with a nice tie and an expression of adoration is essential to the average girl’s happiness at a picnic.
1919		E. Ferber ‘Un Morso doo Pang’ in One Basket (1947) 75: ‘Some hen party!’ they all said.
1932		Eve. Teleg. (Dundee) 21 Jan. 2/4: As useless as mistletoe at a hen party.
1935		(con. 1920s) J.T. Farrell Judgement Day in Studs Lonigan (1936) 680: Regular hen party there, he thought.
1968		‘Hy Lit’ Hy Lit’s Unbelievable Dict. of Hip Words 49: hen party – A lot of girls gossiping.
1989		H. Rawson Dict. of Invective (1991) 191: hen party (a get-together of them).
1998		K. Sampson Awaydays 84: Laden Christmas shoppers bustling off home and flushed Hen Night crews already starting to come out for the night.
2000		Sun. Times 6 Feb. 17: It is now the prospect of a hen night that should send the maitre d’ scuttling for the sanctuary of his wine cellar.
2005		H. Mantel Beyond Black 325: At the hen parties [...] Colette sat in other women’s kitchens.
2016		Oxford Student 20 May 32/2: Fuelled by a sense of nervous anticipation [...] me and my hens entered.
2021		L. McInerney Rules of Revelation 19: [S]he was the kind of woman who was invited to hen parties.

2. as sense 1, used of homosexual men.

2021

J. Ellroy Widespread Panic 14: A flit flamed by and ogled my piece. He hopped to a hen party [...] The hens hooted.

1. (US Und.) a women’s prison [pen n.² (1)].

1992		Bentley & Corbett Prison Sl. 4: Hen Pen A prison for women.
2000		(con. 1940s–60s) Décharné Straight from the Fridge Dad.

2. (Aus.) a women-only room in a local hotel (i.e. public house).

1967

‘Whisper All Aussie Dict.’ in Kings Cross Whisper (Sydney) xxxv 6/2: hen pen: A ladies’ parlour in a suburban hotel.

see hen-coop

see hen and chickens

(US) a cowboy’s blanket or underwear, usu. filled with feathers.

1902		Appeal (St Paul, MN) 12 Apr. 1/2: Why, that ‘henskin’ of yourn ain’t fit to ride a mess wagon, let alone a bronk.
1908		N.Y. Tribune 23 Aug. 5/3: It was a silent, surly group, with none of the usual jest and badinage over ‘henksin blankets’ [...] a cold morning usually insoired.
1939		P.A. Rollins Gone Haywire 62: If, as sometimes, the soogan was stuffed with feathers, it was termed a hen-skin [DA].
1947		C. Price Trails I Rode 49: I didn’t have much of a bed, just a few hen-skins and an old sougan [DA].

see pussy-whipped under pussy n.

a prostitute.

c.1617		Fletcher Chances IV iii: What should our Hen o’th’ Game else Do here without her?
1635		H. Glapthorne Hollander IV i: There are knights in towne who know their Ladies to be Hens oth’ game, and live by tredding.
1665		Head Eng. Rogue I 269: I never was not much inclined to love him, because he was of mean dastardly Spirit, and ever hated that a Dunghill Cock should tread a Hen of the Game.
1734		C. Johnson Hist. of Highwaymen &c. 54: [as cit. 1665].
1896		Farmer Vocabula Amatoria (1966) 253: Tireuse, f. A woman expert in venery; ‘a hen of the game’.

a stalwart working-class woman.

1899

R. Whiteing No. 5 John Street 228: Great Tilda! [...] this hen of the walk of our slum is really herself in all her effects [...] From her cradle, if she ever had one, she has faced the world, and fought her way in it to such poor place as she holds.

(US black) to dance with an older woman.

1944

‘Jiver’s Bible’ in D. Burley Orig. Hbk of Harlem Jive.

(US) chicken’s eggs, either raw or cooked; cit. 1898 is fig.: the ref. is to a ‘good egg’.

1854		Harper’s Mag. VIII 280/2: A young lady is said to have asked a gentleman at a table of a hotel ‘down East’ to pass her the ‘hen fruit.’ She pointed to a plate of eggs.
1860		N.E. Police Gaz. (Boston, MA) 18 Aug. 6/2: Stale hen fruit was not to be had [...] for which the rascals may thank a considerate Providence.
1868		N.Devon Jrnl 9 Apr. 5/6: Eggs. An American paper states [...] genteel young ladies in the country call [them] ‘hen fruit’.
1870		Bolivar Bull. (TN) 26 Feb. 3/1: Why don’t our country cousins [...] fetech in butter, eggs [...] Ye local would like some cow and hen fruit.
1881		Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 17 Dec. 16: [pic. caption] How Two Sister Artists Braced a Rum-Soaked Comedian up to His Part and Saved Him from a Baptism of Antiquated Hen Fruit.
1887		‘Dict. of Diningroom Sl.’ in Brooklyn Daily Eagle 3 July 13: ‘Hen fruit’ is boiled eggs.
1895		Illus. Police News (NY) 20 Apr. 1: [pic. caption] Back number hen fruit in service to make Brooklyn sidewalks safe for women promenaders .
1898		Binstead & Wells A Pink ’Un and a Pelican 182: Frequent allusions to him as the holder of a good place in the human catalogue of attenuated hen-fruit do not serve to sweeten him.
1900		E.H. Babbitt ‘College Words and Phrases’ in DN II:i 40: hen-fruit, n. Eggs.
1907		Sun. Times (Perth) 4 Aug. 3s/5: His intention [was] to show what can be done in the way of hen-fruit production.
1907		W.M. Raine Wyoming (1908) 105: ‘Hen fruit, sunny side up,’ shouted Reddy.
1910		Sun. Times (Perth) 26 June 2nd sect. 12/6: There’s money in hen-fruit. A Belmont poultry farmer is alleged to be clearing £2000 a year from the exertions of the conscientious chook.
1912		J. London Smoke Bellew Pt 10 🌐 I heard tell only yesterday that he’s got all of seven hundred in stock! Twenty-one hundred dollars for hen-fruit!
1918		in A.E. Kauffman Lost Squadron 68: Kindly check all cabbages, Irish confetti, and decayed henfruit at the door.
1918		C. Sommers Temporary Crusaders 5 Jan. 🌐 There was an old man of Jerusalem, / Who habitually used to bamboozl ’em / By selling our men / the fruit of the hen, / At three times the price that he should sell ’em.
1921		Mohave County Miner (AZ) 30 Sept. 7/3: Dr C.C. Telleson is a great lover of fresh hen fruit.
1933		Buckner ‘Ranch Diction of the Texas Panhandle’ in AS VIII:1 27: henfruit. Eggs, almost unobtainable luxuries.
1936		N. Page ‘Secret Guns’ in Thrilling Western May 🌐 ‘Pig strip and hen fruit,’ Crittenden ordered.
1951		Green & Laurie Show Biz from Vaude to Video 18: Spreading a net in front of the stage to catch the vegetables and hen fruit tossed from the audience.
1977		G. Swarthout Melodeon 4: I gathered, washed, and crated hen fruit till I couldn’t face it boiled, fried, or scrambled.
1982		N. Keesing Lily on the Dustbin 123: Hen fruit/cackleberries are eggs.
1988		McGill Dict. of Kiwi Sl. 56/1: hen fruit hen’s eggs.
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. [as cit. 1988].
2017		Guardian 11 June 🌐 [Trump] is scared to get a barrage of raw eggs shampoo [...] You must be yolking...Do you really think that a man wearing a live merkin on his head would be deterred by hen fruit missiles?

(US) stupid, foolish, scatter-brained.

1843		Freeman’s Jrnl (Dublin) 7 Oct. 2/3: Your hen-headed people assume a wrong position.
1867		John o’Groat Jrnl 11 Apr. 2/7: Ye hae plenty o’ men in Wick, eddicated men like mysel’, an’ [...] if they’re no henheaded, they’ll do.
1892		Belfast News Ltr 24 Oct. 7/8: They might just as well be fowls! For indeed, is the mother quite hen-headed.
1900		Pall Mall Gaz. 5 June 2/3: It is a pity that such hen-headed folly should receive the least encouragement.
1906		Aberdeen Jrnl 24 Nov. 5/4: Mr Asquith and his friends seem to have grown hen-headed in the clamour and turmoil.
1910		H.G. Wells Hist. of Mr Polly (1946) 71: ‘Hen-witted gigglers,’ said Mr. Polly.
1912		E. Pugh City Of The World 264: No time to be hen-witted when you’re looking down the muzzle of a barker.
1912		R.W. Brown ‘Word-List From Western Indiana’ in DN III:viii 578: hen-headed, adj. Brainless. ‘That hen-headed cuss can’t do anything you tell him.’.
1926		Hull Dly Mail 11 Jan. 4/5: The hen-headed woman who sets herself up as socially superior to her sister of lesser means.
1936		‘George Orwell’ Keep The Aspidistra Flying (1962) 70: Half of them were those hen-witted middle-aged women.

see chicken-hearted adj.

see separate entries.

1. see under mad as... adj.

2. see mopey as a wet hen adj.

3. see under silly as… adj.