run around like a chicken with its head cut off

English

Alternative forms

• run around like a chicken with no head
• run around like a headless chicken
• run around like a chicken with its head off

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU)

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Verb

run around like a chicken with its head cut off (third-person singular simple present runs around like a chicken with its head cut off, present participle running around like a chicken with its head cut off, simple past ran around like a chicken with its head cut off, past participle run around like a chicken with its head cut off)

1. (idiomatic) To act in a haphazard or aimless way; to act frantically or without control.

   The president doesn't know what to do. He's running around like a chicken with its head cut off.

Related terms

• like a chicken with its head cut off

Translations

To act in a haphazard or aimless way

• Finnish: kuin päätön kana (adverb)
• German: kopflos herumrennen
• Russian: носиться, как угорелый (nositʹsja, kak ugorelyj)
• Spanish: ir como pollo sin cabeza
• Swedish: springa omkring som yra höns (literally “run around like dizzy chickens”)
• Vietnamese: chạy như con gà cắt cổ (idiomatic)