fraidy-cat

Also found in: Idioms.

fraidy-cat

baby talk US someone who frightens easily or is afraid of many things

fraid•y-cat

(ˈfreɪ diˌkæt)

n. Informal.

a timid, easily frightened person.

[1905–10; fraid (aph. form of afraid) + -y¹]

References in periodicals archive ?

His mother pooh-poohs his worries, and his snarky older brother, Buster, says he's a fraidy-cat.

EDUCATION EXTRA

Tallahassee is the fully liberated id to Columbus' over-cautious fraidy-cat, a cowboy road warrior who enjoys gratuitously stomping zombie arse.

'Zombieland' busts a gut

But Miss Johnson makes the Be Quiet sign and everybody knows fraidy-cat Jay-me, fraidy-cat, fraidy-cat.

Close your eyes 1960

a fraidy-cat feline--in the care of a near-senile sitter.

'Pet' project hits the Spot

Grace's overprotectiveness has left kindergarten-aged Nicholas (James Bentley) a clinging fraidy-cat, while elder sis Anne (Alakina Mann) is beginning to rebel against this severe regime.

THE OTHERS

It's about time we stopped being fraidy-cats and developed new nuclear power plants.

PIMBY

The Church sponsored the lethal Crusades (largely through bake sales and bingo games) and reduced congregations to sniveling fraidy-cats by frying people alive--it is less dramatic if they already are dead.

A chess match with death

All I could think was have we become a nation of pussies - and by that I mean fraidy-cats - worried about legislating morality when all you need is the on/off button?

Culture: Quote/Unquote; Alison Jones and Mike Davies choose their highlights of a year chatting to the stars

Be outrageous, ridicule the fraidy-cats, rejoice in all the oddities that freedom can produce.