queer bird

9.4

A person who acts in an odd or unusual way

noun
/kwɪr bɜrd/

Archaic

: persona excéntrica

Many people consider him a queer bird because of his unique fashion sense.

Examples

She’s a bit of a queer bird, but that’s what makes her interesting.
You meet all sorts of queer birds at these art gatherings.
Everyone in the office thinks old Mr. Jenkins is a real queer bird.
She is such a queer bird!
Everyone in the office thinks old Mr. Jenkins is a real queer bird.
You meet all sorts of queer birds at these art gatherings.
Many people consider him a queer bird because of his unique fashion sense.

Synonyms

character

vsqueer bird

Informal

623 4.1

An interesting or unusual person you notice because of how they act

is more negative and focuses on oddness rather than uniqueness

weirdo

vsqueer bird

Offensive

119 7.0

A person who acts in a strange or unusual way

is a more playful, idiomatic way to point out that strangeness

kook

vsqueer bird

Offensive

35 8.8

A person who behaves in a very strange or wild way

is a gentler, more colloquial tag for being merely odd

oddball

vsqueer bird

Offensive

21 7.2

A person who acts in a strange way

is a more playful or regional way to describe that behaviour

odd man

vsqueer bird

Informal

9 5.9

A person who does not fit in with a group

is the more colorful, informal phrase for that social difference

odd man out

vsqueer bird

Informal

8 6.1

A person who is clearly different from others and does not fit in

is a casual, idiomatic way to point out that difference

screwball

vsqueer bird

Offensive

5 8.3

A person who behaves in a strange, silly way

is more about plain oddness rather than playful eccentricity

freakazoid

vsqueer bird

Offensive

4 9.9

A person who behaves in a very strange or wild way

is a softer, less extreme way to mark unusual behaviour

eccentric

vsqueer bird

1 7.0

A person who behaves in an unusual way that others find odd

is a more informal, idiomatic label for that same oddness

eccentric person

vsqueer bird

1 6.0

A person with unusual habits or behavior

is the informal, metaphorical expression for that unconventionality

odd fellow

vsqueer bird

Informal

1 6.8

A person who acts in a way people think is strange

is the more figurative, colloquial expression for that group difference

bit of a weirdo

vsqueer bird

Offensive

1 8.6

A person who acts a little strange or different

is a stronger informal label rather than a mild remark

weirdie

vsqueer bird

Offensive

1 9.9

A person who acts in a strange way that others find unpleasant

is a neutral, less negative way to describe unusual behaviour

rare bird

vsqueer bird

Informal

1 7.7

A person who is not like most people in behavior or ideas

is a more negatively coloured label focusing on odd behaviour

odd fish

vsqueer bird

Informal

8.2

A person who behaves in a strange or unusual way

is a playful, less formal way to note the same oddness

queer fish

vsqueer bird

Archaic

9.9

A person who seems strange to other people

is a synonymous informal phrase used for the same oddness

queer duck

vsqueer bird

Archaic

9.6

A person who acts in a strange or unusual way

is an alternate informal expression with the same basic sense

weirdy

vsqueer bird

Offensive

9.9

A person who acts strange and makes others uncomfortable

is a milder, more neutral term for being unusual

Antonyms

normal

35 1.0

The usual or expected state

conventionalist

Formal

7.7

Supporting the idea that rules come from social agreement

How Eccentric

weirdo

Offensive

119 7.0

eccentric

1 7.0

queer bird

Archaic

9.4

odd fellow

Informal

1 6.8

Surface Forms

queer bird singular

queer birds plural

Morphology

queer + bird

The adjective 'queer' clearly means 'odd/unusual', so combining it with a noun yields an interpretation like 'an odd creature/person' that is partially derivable from the parts. However, 'bird' as a colloquial term for a person is figurative and variable across varieties, and 'queer' also has other senses (e.g. sexual identity), so the precise idiomatic sense 'an eccentric person' is not fully predictable to a B1 learner without exposure.

Etymology

Queer bird comes from the old use of queer to mean 'strange' and bird as a word for a person. The picture of a strange bird acting oddly helps explain why the phrase means 'an eccentric or odd person'.