According to Paul Fussel's book "Wartime," "Chickenshit refers to behavior that makes military life worse than it need be: petty harassment of the weak by the strong; open scrimmage for power and authority and prestige; sadism thinly disguised as necessary discipline; a constant 'paying off of old scores'; and insistence on the letter rather than the spirit of ordinances. Chickenshit is so called--instead of horse- or bull- or elephant shit--because it is small-minded and ignoble and takes the trivial seriously."
This definition is cited by at least two books by Steven E. Ambrose, "Citizen Soldiers" and "Band of Brothers."
This definition is cited by at least two books by Steven E. Ambrose, "Citizen Soldiers" and "Band of Brothers."
Soldier 1: I got fined $25 this morning!
Soldier 2: What for?
Soldier 1: Some rear-echelon type saw me and said that I wasn't maintaing a professional appearance. I can't help it that we've been living in foxholes for the last week and because of the snipers, I can't shave.
Soldier 2: That's chickenshit.
Soldier 2: What for?
Soldier 1: Some rear-echelon type saw me and said that I wasn't maintaing a professional appearance. I can't help it that we've been living in foxholes for the last week and because of the snipers, I can't shave.
Soldier 2: That's chickenshit.
by CW_5000 July 22, 2009
A North-American vulgar slang for a cowardly and timid person. Also an alternative to describing a person as a chicken.
by OliverTheMeme March 17, 2017
by Deve February 25, 2005
(Chinkn' shit)
1: Someone who is afraid or is a wussy.
2: An insult meaning "your just aboout a good as chickenshit."
3: Something other than eggs that come out of a chicken's ass.
1: Someone who is afraid or is a wussy.
2: An insult meaning "your just aboout a good as chickenshit."
3: Something other than eggs that come out of a chicken's ass.
by L Bloodrose December 30, 2009
WWII troop slang for military bureaucratic bullshit. The word implies that the regulations in question are so silly and trifling that they don't measure up to the level of bullshit. Subsequently, the word came to be merely an intensification of the epithet chicken.
In life and death matters, soldiers relied on their common sense and ignored the chickenshit regulations their superiors foisted upon them whenever possible.
by My dixie wrecked November 26, 2003
1) Petty regulations that don't make it to the level of bullshit. A favorite purview of martinets and high-handed bureaucrats.
2) Afraid; cringing; cowardly; reluctant to get off one's ass and put up.
3) Unintelligible verbiage, scrawl, or scritch-scratch.
2) Afraid; cringing; cowardly; reluctant to get off one's ass and put up.
3) Unintelligible verbiage, scrawl, or scritch-scratch.
The new CO's chickenshit was driving the first sergeant batshit; he had bigger things to worry about than snapping salutes from a quarter-mile away, with the enemy waiting just over the hill.
He was too chickenshit to go down to the cellar and deal with Leatherface.
I can't make heads or tails out of this chickenshit they added to the agreement. Tell them to clarify it so we know we're eye-to-eye.
He was too chickenshit to go down to the cellar and deal with Leatherface.
I can't make heads or tails out of this chickenshit they added to the agreement. Tell them to clarify it so we know we're eye-to-eye.
by Ruarc August 17, 2011
by Pr0n April 04, 2003