canary in a coal mine

The thankless task of being the first one to take a hit, from the practice of coal miners of bringing down a caged canary to see if there's dangerous gas below

I don't know if this alleyway's safe, and I ain't no canary in a coal mine.

by Nick Cusa September 20, 2006

Rocky Mountain canary

A Rocky Mountain canary is a humorous nickname for burros; so-called because of their melodious brays.

We were serenaded by a Rocky Mountain canary.

by Cranberry Bob May 7, 2020

Canaried

In Australia when a car is pulled over by the police for being unroadworthy a defect notice is given and a large yellow sign (canary) is stuck to the front windscreen.

Being given a defect notice is thus referred to as 'being canaried'.

I got canaried on the way home because my car is a mobile disaster area. The cop was a total babe though so it wasn't all bad.

by Darvon June 1, 2011

Office canary

Office canary: a worthless or virtually worthless employee who will definitely be fired before you, but if that person does get fired, you had better look out.

Very similar to the canarys miners would take into the mine with them to warn them about poison gas. If the canary died, it was time to get out of dodge…

Where did the girl go that sat near the door?

She got let go and now I'm worried as she was my office canary.

by Matt Kerr April 23, 2008

beef canary

The person in a friend group that eats questionable food(such as foreign beef) first, while the other friends wait to see if the food is safe to eat.

Rob's a total beef canary for eating the lamb from that buffet. He's been on the shitter for hours.

by Mufasaofdoom February 9, 2017

cazart

the equivalent of "Holy shit, I should have known!"
Invented(?) by gonzo journalist Dr. Hunter S. Thompson (author of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas).

Nixon is behind the watergate scandal? Cazart..

by widget January 27, 2005

Canary Day

A Canary Day is a colloquial expression for a day of immense slothfulness, rest, or otherwise inhibition to perform the daily duties and routine of ones life. Often it is associated with drug use, abnormal sleeping schedules, and containment in a closed space for the entirety or majority of the day.

"I just had a 'Canary Day' week. I was so stressed from last week's work that I just couldn't focus on anything this week!"

by Jason Michael December 28, 2005