catbird
in the catbird seat in a superior or more advantageous position. North American informal
☞ This expression is first recorded in James Thurber's short story 'The Catbird Seat' (1942), where it is attributed to the sports broadcaster Red Barber. A literal catbird is a type of North American bird that has a song somewhat reminiscent of a cat's mewing. The allusion in the idiom may be to a cat sitting in a high position from which it can ambush birds.