White feather
Symbol used for cowardice or bravery
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Key Takeaways
- The white feather was a widely recognised propaganda symbol in the United Kingdom, Australia and other Commonwealth countries.
- Other than the White Feather movement, it has, among other meanings, represented cowardice or conscientious pacifism; as in A.
- In the 21st century, the meaning of a white feather as a symbol of cowardice is almost entirely limited to historical reference.
- History As a symbol of cowardice The use of the phrase "white feather" to symbolise cowardice is attested from the late 18th century, according to the Oxford English Dictionary .
- This was in the context of cockfighting, a common entertainment in Georgian England.
The white feather was a widely recognised propaganda symbol in the United Kingdom, Australia and other Commonwealth countries. It was most prominently used in the 'white feather movement' in Britain during the First World War, in which women gave white feathers to non-enlisting men symbolizing cowardice and shaming them into signing up for military service.
Other than the White Feather movement, it has, among other meanings, represented cowardice or conscientious pacifism; as in A. E. W. Mason's 1902 book The Four Feathers. In the 21st century, the meaning of a white feather as a symbol of cowardice is almost entirely limited to historical reference. In the United States armed forces, however, it has been used to signify extraordinary bravery and excellence in combat marksmanship.
History
As a symbol of cowardice
The use of the phrase "white feather" to symbolise cowardice is attested from the late 18th century, according to the Oxford English Dictionary. The OED cites A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1785), in which lexicographer Francis Grose wrote "White feather, he has a white feather, he is a coward, an allusion to a game cock, where having a white feather, is a proof he is not of the true game breed". This was in the context of cockfighting, a common entertainment in Georgian England.
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