Archive for the 'General' Category

Over recent weeks I have been posting articles about idioms that feature birds in some way. Here is another one:

“As the crow flies.”

Meaning:

The shortest distance between two points.

Origin:

The idiom “as the crow flies” seems to have been in use since the early 1800s. One source I found said:

British coastal vessels customarily carried a cage of crows. Crows detest large expanses of water and head, as straight as a crow flies, towards the nearest land if released at sea – very useful if you were unsure of the nearest land when sailing in foggy waters before the days of radar. The lookout perch on sailing vessels thus became known as the crow’s nest.

Several other sources I found gave a very similar answer. In my experience crows and ravens do not fly in particularly straight lines and there are many other species that may fly more directly to a given spot. On reflection, I feel that the point this idiom is making is that a bird, any bird, is easily able to fly directly from one point to another without being hindered by obstacles like humans might be. This direct flight is therefore the shortest distance between those two points.

Example:

• “I am three kilometres from my home, as the crow flies, but by car it is five kilometres.”

Little Raven

January 26th is celebrated throughout Australia as our National Day. It was on this day in 1788 that this new country was founded by the first European settlers to arrive here. I thought I’d share a few images of things that are quintessentially Australian as my way of celebrating Australia day, and sharing something of our country with others.

Western Grey Kangaroo

Australia is known for its wonderful wildlife. The kangaroo would have to be one of the most recognisable members of our fauna. The cuddly look of the Koala would also be recognised world wide.

Koala and Magpie

Australia is also known for its amazing array of plants and wildflowers. Probably the most easily recognised tree would be the eucalypt (or gum) tree. There are hundreds of different species; I will show only one here. This scene, taken in the mid north farming area of South Australia, is typical of many parts of our land.

Balaklava Plains near Blyth South Australia

Of our stunning array of wildflowers, the banksia is easily recognised by many Australians. These magnificent plants give an amazing display when in full flower. The birds go crazy feeding on the nectar and seeds they produce. Photographers, artists and gardeners go equally crazy over them

Banksia flower

Now we turn to the birds. With about 800 species Australia is a plentiful land for the bird lover. Our vast range of parrots and honeyeaters, blue wrens and emus, waterfowl, waders, bush birds and sea birds attract birders from the world over. I’ve just chosen several to feature here.

Mallee Ringneck Parrot

Australia has so many beautiful birds it is hard just to show only two. Many more are featured in my photo gallery here.

Sulphur Crested Cockatoo

Sydney Opera House

On my writing blog I have been writing a series of articles about idioms, their origins and meanings. Some of these relate to birds in interesting ways. This is one of them.

“In cloud cuckoo land.”

Origins:

This idiom is a translation of the name of an imaginary city in a play called The Birds written by the Greek playwright Aristophanes in the fifth century BC. In this city the birds built in the air.

Meaning:

Anyone who lives “in cloud cuckoo land” has lost their grip on reality. Their thoughts or words or actions seem to be divorced from the ordinary aspects of life. In everyone’s estimation they are somewhat crazy, or misguided or just plain silly.

Example:

“If he thinks he will sell his house for that much, he is living in cloud cuckoo land.”