catbird seat, in the

views updated

catbird seat, in the in a superior or advantageous position. A catbird is a long-tailed American songbird of the mockingbird family, with catlike mewing calls, and this expression is said to be an allusion to a baseball player in the fortunate position of having no strikes and therefore three balls still to play (a reference made in James Thurber's short story The Catbird Seat).

More From encyclopedia.com