What Does Chicken Hawking Mean? Unpacking the Multiple Meanings

Hey there! I’ve been getting a ton of questions lately about the term “chicken hawking” and what it means. Turns out, this phrase has several different meanings depending on context, and some of them are pretty surprising! Let’s dive into this interesting slang term together and unpack all its various definitions.

The Different Meanings of Chicken Hawking

The term “chicken hawking” can refer to several different concepts:

1. Social Media Snooping

According to Urban Dictionary, one definition of “chicken hawking” is:

“The act of browsing for other peoples personal information usually on Myspace or Facebook”

This is basically digital stalking or snooping through someone’s social media profiles to gather information about them. For example as one Urban Dictionary contributor put it “I was chicken hawking on this bitch’s Myspace and she’s knocked up!”

While this definition exists, it’s actually not the most common meaning of the term.

2. Older Men Pursuing Younger Men (LGBTQ+ Context)

The most widely recognized meaning of “chicken hawk” or “chickenhawk” comes from gay slang where it refers to

An older gay man who prefers younger males for partners, who may less often be called “chickens”

This usage has been documented in both American and British gay culture. In this context:

• A “chickenhawk” is the older man seeking younger partners
• A “chicken” is the younger male (in British slang; “twink” is more common in American slang)
• Other variations include “chicken queen” and “chicken plucker”

It’s worth noting this term can sometimes be considered derogatory within the LGBTQ+ community and may be viewed as a slur. The label might be applied to men who seek partners with a youthful appearance, regardless of their actual age.

In more extreme and problematic contexts, the term has been used to refer to men who pursue underage boys. This usage was notably highlighted in a controversial 1994 documentary film titled “Chicken Hawk: Men Who Love Boys,” and Time magazine reported this usage as early as 1975.

3. War Supporters Who Haven’t Served

Merriam-Webster defines another meaning of “chicken hawk” as:

“A person who strongly supports or promotes a war or warlike policies but who has never served in the military”

This definition emerged as a political term, often used disparagingly to describe politicians or public figures who advocate for military action while having personally avoided military service themselves. Several Urban Dictionary entries highlight this usage, describing chicken hawks as “cowards who support wars while they themselves dodged the draft.”

4. Literal Meaning: Birds of Prey

The original, literal definition of “chicken hawk” refers to:

“A hawk that preys or is believed to prey on chickens”

This is the oldest meaning of the term, with Merriam-Webster noting its first known use around 1775.

The Cultural Context and Evolution of the Term

The term “chicken hawk” has evolved significantly over time. What started as a simple description of a predatory bird has transformed into multiple slang terms with very different meanings.

In LGBTQ+ studies, the use and significance of this term have been the subject of academic discussions. The term relates to concepts like age disparity in sexual relationships and has parallels to other slang terms like “cougar” (older women who pursue younger men).

When discussing the term in its LGBTQ+ context, it’s important to note that age-gap relationships between consenting adults are completely different from predatory behavior involving minors. Unfortunately, the term has sometimes been used in both contexts, which has contributed to harmful stereotypes.

How Different Sources Define Chicken Hawking

Let’s look at how different sources define this term:

Wikipedia Definition

Wikipedia focuses primarily on the LGBTQ+ slang definition, describing a chickenhawk as an “older gay man who prefers younger males for partners.” The article notes the term can be considered disparaging within the LGBTQ+ community.

Urban Dictionary Definitions

Urban Dictionary offers multiple definitions, including:

1. Social media snooping/stalking
2. An older gay man pursuing younger men
3. Someone who advocates for war without having served in the military

Merriam-Webster Definition

Merriam-Webster provides three distinct definitions:

1. A hawk that preys on chickens (original meaning)
2. A person who supports war but hasn’t served (political meaning)
3. A man who pursues boys or young men for sexual purposes (slang meaning)

Usage in Contemporary Culture

The term isn’t commonly used in mainstream conversation today, but it does appear in specific contexts:

• In political discourse, particularly when discussing politicians’ stances on military action
• In LGBTQ+ communities, though often considered dated or potentially offensive
• In discussions about predatory behavior (though more specific terms are typically preferred)
• Occasionally in social media contexts to describe online stalking behavior

Why Understanding These Definitions Matters

I think it’s super important to understand the various meanings of this term for several reasons:

1. Avoiding miscommunication: The term means vastly different things in different contexts
2. Cultural sensitivity: Some uses of the term can be considered offensive or derogatory
3. Historical context: Understanding how the term evolved provides insight into cultural attitudes

Related Terms and Concepts

If you’re researching this topic, you might also encounter these related terms:

• Age disparity in sexual relationships: The general concept of partnerships with significant age gaps
• Cougar: The heterosexual female equivalent of a “chicken hawk” (an older woman who pursues younger men)
• Ephebophilia: A clinical term for sexual attraction to adolescents
• Troll: Another gay slang term related to seeking partners of specific types

Final Thoughts

Language is fascinating in how it evolves and takes on new meanings! The term “chicken hawking” demonstrates how a single phrase can develop multiple distinct definitions across different communities and contexts.

When encountering this term, it’s always important to consider the context in which it’s being used. The meaning can vary drastically depending on whether it’s being used in political discussion, LGBTQ+ contexts, or on social media.

References

This article was researched using information from:

• Wikipedia’s article on “Chickenhawk (gay slang)”
• Urban Dictionary definitions of “Chicken Hawking” and “Chicken Hawk”
• Merriam-Webster’s dictionary definition of “chicken hawk”

Stay curious, and I’ll catch ya in the next post!

In slang, “chicken” most often refers to a cowardly or fearful person. It can also describe a young or inexperienced person, particularly a young girl, or refer to someone who lacks courage and backs out of a situation, often in a playful context.

“Chicken hawk” has several slang meanings, referring to a war hawk who avoided military service in politics, and in some gay subcultures, it describes an older man who pursues younger-looking males.

The term “chicken hawk” has at least two meanings: in politics, it describes a war hawk who has avoided military service, derived from “chicken” (coward) and “hawk” (war advocate). In ornithology, it’s a common but inaccurate name for certain hawks, particularly the Cooper’s hawk, which hunt other birds and small mammals, not primarily chickens.