During lunch I sat outside with the dogs and watched birds flit around the back yard. I think I saw some wrens, which I hope have decided to take up residence nearby. Then, because I sometimes have base thoughts, I wondered about uttering a long string of dirty bird names, and whether or not would get you in trouble (as a child) since they were proper names.
Titmouse, woodcock, red shafted flicker, barn swallow, grackle.
The last one isn’t really dirty or suggestive, but it sounds like it could be dirty. And they’re lame birds. Still, what would happen to a child who stood up in class and said those out loud and possibly out of context? Are they dirty? Or is it just if you mean for it to be dirty that makes them count as bad words?
And what about damn? Why is it a bad word? Its so useful and other words that mean roughly the same thing (darn, blasted, cursed) aren’t considered bad. Is it because its mostly used in conjunction with god? Is it guilty by association simply because you’re not to take the lord’s name in vain (like we know what its name really is…)
Maybe I’ll start introducing damn into casual conversation to see what the reaction is. It seems like a damn useful whatever grammarians call it.
you have to much time on your hands!! haha
1. Michelle better get home soon.
2. Black-capped chickadee
3. Robin’s red breast
4. Cockatiel
5. Cockatoo
6. Deep throated shaft flicker
7. I made up #6
Then there’s the British English name for what is referred to as a “Budgie” in the US: Budgeriegar (I have no idea if that is spelled right). Now, that doesn’t have an outright perverse word within it, but it just doesn’t sound all too proper, especially when a “northerner” (Northern Englan, that is) says it!
By the way, the Norfolk regional slang for a ladybug is “bishy bishy barnaby”. No idea what that’s about!