18
Currents
February 2019
> continued from page 16
The English language is peppered with words and
expressions with bird references. A lady with a small
appetite eats like a bird, so that’s why she is as light
as a feather. A ballerina should be as graceful as a
swan. When life is treating you well, you’re as happy
as a lark. If you’re lucky enough to have few or no
worries, you’re as free as a bird.
Not all bird expressions are complimentary. A bad
case of laryngitis will make you sound as hoarse as
a crow. Nobody likes people who are as proud – or
vain – as a peacock. If you make foolish decisions,
people will say that you are as
crazy as a loon.
English has many interesting
expressions using the word bird.
A snowbird is a person who goes
south to escape the cold winter
weather. A birdbrain describes a
stupid individual. An unimportant
or worthless suggestion is defi-
nitely for the birds. A bird’s-eye
view gives you an overall per-
spective.
Now let’s look at some popular
bird expressions that describe
human behavior. People with
similar interests tend to gravitate
towards each other because birds
of a feather flock together. A bird
in hand is worth two in the bush
reminds us that it’s better to keep
what you have rather than risk
losing it. You’ll have a better
chance of success if you remem-
ber that the early bird catches the
worm.
Some birds, especially chick-
ens, get a low score on the like-
ability scale. A fearful person is a
chicken who chickens out in the
face of a challenge. The phrase
no spring chicken is a negative
way of describing an older per-
son.
A husband, constantly
nagged by his wife, is henpecked.
An overly protective woman is
often called a mother hen.
If you go to bed with the chick-
ens, don’t marry a night owl.
You’ll get paid back for your bad
continued on page 19 >