The term “feather in your cap” came from the American Indian tradition
of obtaining feathers for headdresses. Birds were captured, some
feathers plucked, and the birds were released. Each feather represented
an act of bravery. The fashion of decorating hats with feathers declined
in the twentieth century because too many birds were being slaughtered
for their feathers.
The term “counting coup” or just simply “coup” that has come to mean one
studio signing a major star over another studio actually came about from
the Indians. When different sects of the same tribe would get together,
i.e. the Seminole creeks and the Muskogee creeks, they would ride against
each other in a type of war game. The only difference is they would use
sticks or branches painted different colors to “attack” with. Each hit
would be a coup. At the end of the match they would simply “count coup’
to determine a winner. I find it amazing how much of our language in
America actually comes from the Indian language.
