white feather

[jiang]

Dear Teachers,

I was watching Downton Abbey when I was confused at one clip: a girl gave a man a white feather and said :"coward". My question is:
Does it mean in English culture "white feather" has a connotative meaning of coward?

Looking forward to hearing from you.
Thank you in advance.

Jiang

 

[Rover_KE]

Yes, it does.

 

[Skrej]

However, here "English culture" refers specifically to the culture of England. There was an excellent movie called "The Four Feathers", starring Heath Ledger based on this concept.

This connotation doesn't exist in AmE. It does have some minor usage among US military snipers as a symbol of marksmanship and courage.

 

[Raymott]

The white feather was also a thing in Australia during WWI.

 

[jiang]

Dear Rover_KE,
Thank you very much for your explanation.
I am unable to post Thank and Like and I guess it is due to the fact that there is an exclaimation mark in a triangle on the right of Thank and Like.
Jiang

 

[jiang]

Dear Raymott,
Thank you very much for your explanation.
Jiang

 

[jiang]

Dear Skrej,
Thank you very much for your explanation. May I say the meaning in England is just the opposite the meaning in American English?
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Thank you in advance.
Jiang

 

[Skrej]

I wouldn't say it's exactly the opposite, but regardless, it's not very widely known in America no matter which meaning you use.

Feathers in America are most often associated with Native Americans, more than anything else.

 

[Amigos4]

Feathers in America are most often associated with Native Americans, more than anything else.

Feathers in America are most often associated with birds, more than anything else. ;-)

 

[Tdol]

Conscientious objectors - people who refused to fight in the First World War - were targeted in the UK by people handing out white feathers to mark them as cowards.

 

[Amigos4]

As a symbol of cowardice, the white feather supposedly comes from cockfighting and the belief that a cockerel (a male chicken) sporting a white feather in its tail is likely to be a poor fighter. Pure-breed gamecocks do not show white feathers, so its presence indicates that the cockerel is an inferior cross-breed. (Source: Wikipedia)

 

[jiang]

Thanks!

 

[jiang]

Thanks！

 

[jiang]

Dear Tdol,
First, thank you very much for your explanation.
Second,I am unable to post Thank and Like and I guess it is due to the fact that there is an exclaimation mark in a triangle on the right of Thank and Like. Could you please kindly solve the problem?
Jiang

 

[Matthew Wai]

there is an exclaimation mark in a triangle on the right of Thank and Like.

There is also such a triangle at my end, but the two buttons work properly.

please kindly

Please omit 'kindly', which is redundant.

 

[Tarheel]

That triangle is there so you can report a post.

 

[jiang]

Many thanks!
There must be something wrong with my computer.

 

[probus]

To sum up, a white feather is a symbol of cowardice in BrE, but not in AmE. That I learnt from this thread.

 

[jiang]

Many thanks!

 

[Matthew Wai]

Perhaps the 'Thank' button works on another browser, jiang.