a little bit of bread and no cheese

== English == === Etymology === Onomatopoeic; the bird’s song is thought to resemble the rhythm of the phrase. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ə ˌlɪtl̩ ˈbɪt‿əv ˈbɹɛd‿n̩ nəʊ ˈt͡ʃiːz/ (General American) IPA(key): /ə ˈlɪt(ə)l ˈbɪt‿əv ˈbɹɛd‿n̩ noʊ ˈt͡ʃiz/, [-ˈlɪɾ(ə)l-] Rhymes: -iːz Hyphenation: a lit‧tle bit of bread and no cheese === Interjection === a little bit of bread and no cheese (British, idiomatic) Used to represent the song of the yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella). === Further reading === yellowhammer on Wikipedia.Wikipedia