sing like a canary
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
To inform on a criminal in great detail.
Register: slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “sing like a canary” mean?
To inform on a criminal in great detail.
Is “sing like a canary” formal or informal?
sing like a canary is generally slang.