美国俚语中，“chicken”可用来表示“胆小的”，常用的一个和“chicken”有关的习语是：chicken out。

“chicken out”的意思是：原来计划好做一件事，但是到最后一刻却害怕了，感到完成不了，于是便中途停止或放弃，也可以说是临阵退缩。这种事情几乎每个人都在不同情况下经历过…

today i was sure i could work up my courage and dive off the ten meter board at the pool. i walked right out to the edge, but then i chickened out—it looked like a long way down to the water!

我原来以为今天我肯定会鼓足了勇气从游泳池那个十米高的跳台上跳下去。可是，当我走到跳台边缘的时候却退缩。从跳台到水面的距离看起来好远啊！

下面再来看一个例子：

my friend joe was planning to get married for the fourth time. but at the last moment he chickened out because his first three marriages ended in divorce and he was afraid to take another chance.

我的朋友乔原来准备要第四次结婚。可是，到了最后一刻他胆怯了，因为他结过三次婚，最后结局都是离婚，所以他怕这次又会不成功。