The Bird is the... Word?

Alright, we're back. It's time to delve into and appreciate some of life’s best, yet seemingly trivial sayings: idioms. Sometimes, there's nothing like using an age-old saying to truly get your point across.

If you’re new here, we’ve previously explored idioms including "bucket" and "duck," and they sparked quite the conversation ??

This time, we’re focusing on idioms involving the word “bird.” Why, you may ask? Well, because we take birds very seriously around here, as you can see! Furthermore, idioms can lead to confusion if we're not all on the same page.

Hope that another 'drop in the bucket' doesn't miss you like 'water off a duck's back'.

???? A BIRD IN THE HAND IS WORTH TWO IN THE BUSH

In the dictionary: It’s better to appreciate what you have than to pine for what you don't.

In the world: Humans tend to feel the sting of loss more acutely than the joy of gain. You’d likely be more upset about losing a winning lottery ticket than you’d be thrilled about having won it in the first place. This saying essentially teaches us about opportunity cost. TLDR: Exercise discretion, but remember, risk is essential to success.

In a sentence: “Dad, I was thinking I could hold onto my old car instead of buying a new one—'a bird in the hand beats two in the bush,’ right?”

?? A FLIGHTLESS BIRD

In the dictionary: Something deemed useless.

In the world: People generally know birds for their ability to fly—it’s a defining trait. Therefore, if something is described as a 'flightless bird,' it is seen as good for nothing.

In a sentence: "My neighbor's dog is terrifying when it barks all day and night. But as long as it's kept tethered, it’s just a flightless bird and can't harm anyone."

?? KILL TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE

In the dictionary: To achieve two goals with a single action.

In the world: Efficiency is king. Whenever we can increase output with minimal input, we're in a good place. Consider this literally (and apologies to PETA): Imagine using one stone to hunt two birds when food is scarce. That would be highly efficient, wouldn’t it?

In a sentence: Randy’s dry cleaners notified him that his clothes were ready for collection. Since the cleaner is close to the gas station and Randy’s car needed refueling, he decided to kill two birds with one stone and refuel during his pickup.

?? THE CAGED BIRD

In the dictionary: Something locked away from the outside world with big dreams and limited mobility.

In the world: Most famously known from Maya Angelou's autobiography, which details her struggle against societal constraints due to her race and gender. This image frequently appears in literature, art, and life, symbolizing entrapment. Why do they still song, though? Because sometimes the best display of power and freedom come in situations of restraint.

In a sentence: Just like the caged bird, she felt confined by the limited career options available to her; yet she still applied to jobs every single week.

?? BIRD-CHESTED

In the dictionary: Describing someone with a frail-looking upper torso, marked by a protruding rib cage.

In the world: Ironically, the rib cage is one of the sturdiest parts of a bird's body, and yet "bird-legged" is also used to describe frailty in humans. This term may stem from the similarity between a bird's cage-like rib structure and a skinny person’s visible ribs. TL;DR? If someone calls you bird-chested, they probably think you should bulk up.

In a sentence: If you don’t get your scrawny ass in the gym before summer time, you’re gonna look real bird-chested at my pool party in front of the girls.

?? FREE AS A BIRD

In the dictionary: Completely unencumbered.

In the world: Few things symbolize freedom more than the ability to rise above barriers and escape at will. That’s why planes are thrilling, why Red Bull’s marketing captures our imagination, and part of why the concept of heaven often includes wings.

In a sentence: "I just shut my laptop for the weekend. Want to grab a drink? I’m free as a bird until Monday morning!"

?? THE EARLY BIRD GETS THE WORM

In the dictionary: Being first in line, or proactive, can sometimes lead to success

In the world: I have seen birds do a lot of stuff, but eating a worm isn’t one of them. But deep down, I know they eat worms. They have to. I’m just saying I ain’t never SEEN it. With that said, I imagine there are far more hungry birds than there are available worms at any given moment. And on any given day, it’s probably best to get to it before everyone else is.

If you want things no one else has, you have to be willing to do things no one else does.

In a sentence: Sure, the early bird gets the worm, but sometimes being first-to-market can be a harbinger of doom for startup businesses.

????FLIP THE BIRD

In the dictionary: To give someone the middle finger.

In the world: Ok, let’s be honest, this is a half-step off of simply telling someone “fuck you”. Universally understood, from every nation and creed. It’s the longest finger, and the strongest actually. That’s why it means so much when we flip it. Why they call it “the bird”, I don’t know. But if someone flips said bird in your direction, you’ve likely got bigger issues on your hand.

In a sentence: “This driver cut me off in traffic today... TWICE. I was already late for work and in a bad mood, so when I finally passed him, I flipped his ass the bird.”

???????? BIRDS OF A FEATHER FLOCK TOGETHER

In the dictionary: People who choose to spend a lot of time with each other likely have something in common.

In the world: Birds travel in packs. And, like most animals, those packs are usually filled with the same species. And, with that logic, if you know what type of bird one is, you can guess what type of bird they all are.

Similarly, the biggest predictor of friendship is proximity. We’re an amalgamation of the people we spend the most time around. And, while it’s not always good to generalize people, on it’s face this can be a useful tactic when making snap decisions. Because just like birds, when people spend tons of time around each other, it’s safe to assume that they have something in common.

In a sentence: I know birds of a feather flock together, but you don’t seem anything like any your loser friends. I really like you; you’re one of the good ones!

?? THE BIRD DON’T STAND A CHANCE

In the dictionary: (this is actually just something my Dad made up that I find funny as hell)

In the world: If you’re having a party, or function, or gathering of people. It doesn’t matter if you order 50, 100, or 150 pieces of chicken, wings, etc. The will all be gone by the end of the event. People love chicken, and they will eat it til’ it’s gone, no matter what else is presented to them, or how many you offer.

In a sentence: “Damn, that Popeyes drive-thru line is so long, cars are lining up in the street! Whew, I know that bird don’t stand a chance.”

????♂? WINGIN’ IT

In the dictionary: Moving forward without a solidified plan

In the world: Sometimes, you just don’t know what you’re doing. But you’re doing it anyway. Maybe it’s a test you forgot to study for, or a new relationship, or even a new job. When you’re wingin’ it, you’re building the plane as you fly it; taking things one day and step at a time.

In a sentence: “Dude, how’d you learn the Cha Cha Slide so fast?”

“Honestly, I just hit the dance floor at a wedding once and started wingin’ it until I figured it out.”

??? AS THE CROW FLIES (BONUS)

In the dictionary: In a straight line

In the world: Remember what I said about “free as a bird” up there? This is where that comes to life. You ever been typing something into Waze or Maps and before you select the destination, it says something like “5.3mi”, but then when you click it and it shows the actual distance/directions it’s like “8.7mi”? That’s because the initial measurement is simply, how far they are from each other in a straight line , or as a crow flies.

What seems a short distance as the crow flies can be much longer due to natural or man-made obstacles.

In a sentence: “As the crow flies, we’re only about 1.5 miles away from the park, but with the mountain between, it’ll take us about a half an hour to get there. “

For Lack of a Wetter Bird, idioms can be fun sometimes amirite?

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