Idiomatic usage Henny Penny

title page of remarkable story of chicken little

the name chicken little  — , fable s central phrase, sky falling! — have been applied people accused of being unreasonably afraid, or trying incite unreasonable fear in around them.

the first use of name chicken little 1 warns of or predicts calamity, without justification recorded merriam-webster dictionary in 1895, idiomatic use of name predates attestation. in fact, usage recorded in united states after publication of chandler s illustrated children s book in 1840. already, in 1842, journal article government of haiti referred chicken little in offhand manner. oration delivered city of boston on july 4, 1844, contains passage:

to hear harangues on eve of election, 1 suppose fable of chicken little become truth, , sky falling.

fear mongering — whether justified or not — can elicit societal response called chicken little syndrome, described inferring catastrophic conclusions possibly resulting in paralysis . has been defined sense of despair or passivity blocks audience actions . term began appearing in 1950s , phenomenon has been noted in many different societal contexts.