Chicken little or little chicken?

    • crrdm said:
    What is the difference between these two phrases? Thanks a lot.
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    "Little Chicken" is the normal phrase. "Chicken little" sounds like a Chicken who is called Little, in the same way you might say "Mr Little" or "Reverand Little".
     
    I think "Chicken Little" is the name of a cartoon, or a short story, or something along those lines.

    Tim is right. You would only use that order if referring to the name of a chicken.
     
    Chicken Little is a character in a children's story (and a recent Disney movie about that character). An acorn falls on his head, which makes him think the sky is falling. It is one of those repetetive stories where he keeps meeting characters (called things like "Henny Penny") and telling them that the sky is falling. So unless you are talking about this particular story, say "little chicken."
     
    Aud Duck said:
    Chicken Little is a character in a children's story (and a recent Disney movie about that character). An acorn falls on his head, which makes him think the sky is falling. It is one of those repetetive stories where he keeps meeting characters (called things like "Henny Penny") and telling them that the sky is falling. So unless you are talking about this particular story, say "little chicken."
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    That's it - thanks! :)

    That's what I was thinking of, but I just couldn't quite put my finger on it.
     
    quite simply, i saw chicken little, and his name was little. However, my point is little chicken is that exactly."a little chicken ran threw the yard". But on the otherhand, chicken little, other then a movie title would have to be put in a sentence to make sense. EX: "He likes the chicken little because if it is to big, he can't finish it."
     
    Mikeyp028 said:
    quite simply, i saw chicken little, and his name was little. However, my point is little chicken is that exactly."a little chicken ran through the yard". But on the otherhand, chicken little, other then a movie title would have to be put in a sentence to make sense. EX: "He likes the chicken little because if it is too big, he can't finish it."
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    In the second sentence, we can replace that with:
    He likes the chicken to be little because...
    The to be is really implied in this sentence.
     
    Mikeyp028 said:
    Quite simply, I saw Chicken Little, and his name was Little. However, my point is little chicken is that exactly."A little chicken ran threw through the yard". But on the other hand, chicken little, other then a movie title would have to be put in a sentence to make sense. EX: "He likes the chicken little because if it is too big, he can't finish it."
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    Brilliant, Mikey! :) I couldn't have put it better.

    But please take care to use proper English when you write, so as not to confuse learners.
     
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