Frigaliment Importing Co. v. B.N.S. International Sales Corp. · US District Court, New York · 1960

What did 'chicken' mean?

Short answer: Any chicken, stewers included.

The facts. A Swiss importer ordered 'US Fresh Frozen Chicken' from a New York seller. When the shipment arrived, it was old stewing hens, not young fryers. The importer said everybody knows 'chicken' means the nice kind, but the seller disagreed.

The ruling. Frigaliment v. B.N.S. (1960): Judge Henry Friendly ruled for the seller. The buyer had the burden of showing the narrower meaning, and it failed.

The opinion famously opens with the line: 'The issue is, what is chicken?' Lawyers love it as the perfect example of how even simple words can hide big disputes.

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For fun, not legal advice.