What is the origin of the idiom madder than a wet hen?
“Madder than a wet hen” probably originated in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Supposedly, chickens get angry if they get dumped in water, although I have never personally seen a chicken get angry about being wet – and I grew up in the Appalachians with chickens. I can testify that many American southerners do use this phrase to mean someone who is very angry.
