have a bird

English

Verb

have a bird (third-person singular simple present has a bird, present participle having a bird, simple past and past participle had a bird)

1. (slang) To freak out; to be shocked or upset.
   • 1964, Lou Sullivan, personal diary, quoted in 2019, Ellis Martin, Zach Ozma (editors), We Both Laughed In Pleasure

     Didn't do anything great except saw "The Beatles" on The Ed Sullivan Show and Kathy practically had a bird.

2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see have,‎ a,‎ bird.

Further reading

• “have a bird” in Idioms and phrases, TheFreeDictionary.com, Huntingdon Valley, Pa.: Farlex, Inc., 2003–2024.