<P> According to Douglas Harper's Online Etymological Dictionary, the phrase refers to the gray catbird and was used in the 19th century in the American South . </P> <P> Ken Harrelson, the play - by - play TV broadcaster for the Chicago White Sox, has been often heard referencing "the catbird seat" during games . </P> <P> In Entertainment: </P> <Ul> <Li> 1948: Season 1, Episode 5 of the Actors Studio was called "The Catbird Seat" </Li> </Ul>

Where does the term catbird seat come from