I’m no spring chicken
A spring chicken is simply a chicken born in the spring. So, “not a spring chicken” is a chicken NOT born in the spring. In particular, this phrase is referring to chickens born in the winter. Farmers in the early 18th century found that people were more willing to buy the younger spring chickens. If a farmer tried to sell an older chicken as a younger one, the customer would complain, “That’s no spring chicken.” That is where this phrase comes from.
In its figurative meaning, no spring chicken refers to a person. You are saying that the person is getting older. The first instance of no spring chicken as an idiomatic phrase came in 1906. It is regularly used as a euphemism for the elderly.
Example: She’s turning 60 years old today. She’s no spring chicken.
This year I have had a few injuries while playing ping pong. Today it happened again. I injured my shoulder just before we started a ‘tournament’ with the trainees. My coworker commented that I should be more careful, I am not getting any younger. “You’re not getting any younger” is also a common phrase for people who are starting to show signs of aging. However, he could easily have used the phrase, “You’re not a spring chicken anymore.”
What do you think is a sign of getting old?
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Reference:
https://www.gingersoftware.com/content/phrases/no-spring-chicken/
https://writingexplained.org/idiom-dictionary/no-spring-chicken