Birds of a feather

Do you know what these 10 bird-inspired expressions mean?

Credit: Boris Smokrovic

Whether you love getting outside to watch birds in their natural habitat or prefer staying indoors with a good book, this article has something for everyone. In everyday conversations, we often use many phrases that feature our feathered friends as the main characters. From the famous "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" to some lesser-known expressions, today we're exploring the meanings and origins of 10 fun bird-related idioms that also teach us valuable lessons.

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It is believed that this expression gained fame thanks to falconry, a popular sport during medieval times. In this practice, a hunting bird –usually a falcon– was trained to catch other birds or small animals. The falcon would often perch on the trainer's hand, which inspired the well-known idiom. While catching prey was important, the hawk had far greater value than the other birds in flight, making it essential to take good care of it.

Thus, this phrase highlights the importance of appreciating what you already have over uncertain possibilities and the wisdom of playing it safe rather than risking everything.

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It seems like every mom has a sneaky bird friend watching the kids and reporting every bit of mischief and little white lie, doesn't it? Or at least that's what we were led to believe as children (well, if you had a pet parrot, this might actually be true).

The idiom "a little bird told me" is used as a playful way to share information from a source that can't be revealed. And it has an interesting possible origin. It is believed that this expression originated from ancient mythologies, where birds were thought to announce events, serving as messengers of the gods.

Don't let your guard down; you never know when a little bird might be watching!

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Hunting birds with stones must be one of the oldest forms of hunting, and it's actually the origin of a well-known phrase. Of course, hitting just one bird is no easy task, so imagine the feat of hitting two with one throw; that would demand either extraordinary skills or a rare stroke of luck. Thus, "Kill two birds with one stone" is used to refer to efficiency: Solving two problems or completing two goals with a single action when it could have required much more effort.

This phrase first appeared in written English in the 17th century. Fortunately, we have gentler versions nowadays, such as "Feed two birds with one scone." Sweet, isn't it?

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Aurora Musis Amica is a Latin proverb that means "Dawn is the friend of the muses." As we can see, the idea of getting up early for its benefits has been valued since ancient times.

Inspired by the natural behavior of birds that wake at dawn to find the best and most food, the popular English idiom, "The early bird catches the worm" conveys the same idea: If you arrive first, you'll probably get the best. In fact, many languages have similar sayings. For instance, in Spanish, there's a popular phrase that goes, Al que madruga, Dios lo ayuda, which translates to "God helps the early riser."

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Here is one undeniable fact: Birds of a feather flock together. Science says so, not just us.

William Turner, an English naturalist and botanist, wrote in his 1545 book The Rescuing of the Romish Fox: "Birds of on kynde and color, they flocke and flye allwayes together." Inspired by this natural behavior of birds and other animals, the famous idiom was born to describe how we often come together and form groups with others who share similar interests, preferences, and characteristics.

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Whenever someone completes an arduous task, leaves an unpleasant situation, or –who knows– even goes through a divorce, you might hear the phrase "free as a bird."

This phrase draws from how we perceive a bird's flight: unrestrained, independent, and fulfilling. It's hard to find a better way to describe freedom, right?

The Beatles expressed this sense of release perfectly in their song titled exactly as this idiom. "Free as a Bird" was composed and recorded by John Lennon 3 years after the band's breakup, but it wasn't released at the time. Almost two decades later, in 1995, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr released a studio version that included Lennon's demo.

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It's well known that hawks stand out for their incredible skills and features. Among these, their vision and accuracy are particularly impressive. The hawk's eye is infallible: It examines the situation with precision and always succeeds when hunting its prey.

For this reason, hawks' vision is often used in figures of speech to represent careful and detailed observation. In fact, the "Hawk-Eye" is a system used in many sports –such as tennis– to review and analyze moves that may cause confusion. So, when we "watch someone like a hawk," it means we're paying close attention, observing them carefully, and noticing even the smallest details. Have you ever felt like you were being watched this closely?

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Realizing that we've missed a long-awaited opportunity can be quite frustrating, but maybe we can add a little humor to the situation with a clever bird-inspired idiom.

When someone says "The bird has flown," they're telling you that what you were looking for is gone; In other words, it's too late. In this case, the bird represents the chance or desired thing that has slipped away.

This idiom is clear: Once a bird has escaped, it's unlikely to return to its cage. You've probably heard "That ship has sailed," a similar popular expression that symbolizes the same idea.

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Are you one of those who feel happy with just a cup of coffee and a cookie, or do you prefer a hearty meal? We're definitely in the second group!

The expression "eat like a bird" doesn't refer to large predators like hawks or eagles that consume big prey but rather to small birds, such as sparrows. Why? Because to "eat like a bird" means to eat very little or have a small appetite.

While the origin of this idiom is not well documented, it has been used in English since at least the 19th century. After all, who could feel full after eating just a handful of seeds?

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If you are an artist or an art fan, you've probably come across this idiom more than once.

"Swan song" was originally used in artistic contexts to refer to the final and most dedicated work of a writer, composer, or painter. Over time, the expression expanded to other contexts, referring to the final important action of someone before retiring from their field. For example, it might describe a lawyer's last case or a professor's final lecture.

But where does this idiom come from? If you've ever been near a swan, you'll know that they are usually silent. However, in medieval times, it was believed that swans sang a beautiful song just before they died as a grand finale. Poetic, right?

HAPPY COINCIDENCES

Did You Know That These 10 Inventions Were Discovered By Accident?

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Every day, brilliant minds are busy creating new products, some of which become crucial and necessary to our lives. But, while some inventions and discoveries are the result of years of dedicated work, others come about as the consequence of chance. Some of the objects and products you use every day were created unintentionally or appeared when their inventor actually had a very different purpose. Today, we're discovering 10 everyday things you probably didn't know were invented by accident!

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Let's talk about something we all love: food, especially sweet treats. When it comes to American cuisine, a recipe that we can't overlook is the classic chocolate chip cookie. Many of us can't live without this delight, but its creation was actually a happy coincidence.

In 1938, baker Ruth Wakefield was preparing some chocolate-flavored cookies but found herself out of baker's chocolate. Fortunately, she did have a bar of Nestlé chocolate, which she chopped up and added to the mix, expecting it to melt in the oven. Then, the magic happened: instead of melting, the chocolate pieces held their shape. And that's how, for the first time and unintentionally, Ruth Wakefield invented the now-famous chocolate chip cookies.

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It's hard to find someone who hasn't tried cornflakes at least once. But did you know this beloved breakfast staple was actually the result of a happy accident?

Towards the end of the 19th century, brothers Will Keith and John Harvey Kellogg were the accidental creators of this delicious treat. At the time, John Harvey was a physician who was experimenting with wheat dough to improve his patients' food. By accident, he and his brother left the dough out too long. When they toasted it, instead of the smooth sheets they expected, the dough turned into crispy flakes. When they tasted the flakes, they were surprised at how good they were!

By 1906, the Kellogg brothers were selling their new creation as "Corn Flakes."

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Whether you stick them inside a book, on your computer screen, on a whiteboard, or even on the fridge door, Post-it Notes always come in handy, right?

In 1968, a chemist named Spencer Silver was trying to develop a super-glue that could stick to anything. However, luck had other plans for him. Eventually, Silver developed a glue that was weaker than expected; it could stick materials together but would easily peel off without leaving any residue.

At first, Silver didn't know what to do. Fortunately, his colleague Art Fry had a good idea. It turns out that Fry was tired of notes falling out of his books, and he thought that this "removable" glue might help. By 1974, they had developed what we now know as "Post-it Notes," though they were originally called "Press 'n Peel."

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Whether you're reheating last night's leftovers, melting butter for a cake, warming milk, or defrosting food, we can say that life has become a little easier thanks to the microwave oven. It is definitely one of the most used appliances daily, but surprisingly, we owe its existence to a mere accident.

The invention of the microwave is credited to Percy Spencer, an American engineer. In the 1940s, Spencer was working on a radar system when he noticed a chocolate in his pocket had melted! Then, he concluded that the microwaves used in the radar were responsible for turning his chocolate into liquid. In 1945, Spencer tested his hypothesis using popcorn kernels, which started to pop. This experiment was one of the first steps in the development of the microwave oven, introduced in 1947.

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You've probably experienced this before: accidentally crashing your toe on a piece of furniture or having your clothes snagged on a doorknob. Annoying, right? Well, something similar happened to Swiss engineer George de Mestral.

In 1941, while taking a walk in the woods with his dog, Mestral noticed something: a plant was sticking to his clothes and his dog's fur. Instead of getting annoyed, he saw potential in the situation. When he examined the plants stuck to his clothes, he discovered a mechanism that fascinated him: tiny hooks on the plant were catching onto the loops in the fabric. Inspired by this, he decided to invent a fastening system based on this hook-and-loop dynamic.

By 1955, Mestral had a prototype of his invention, which he called "Velcro".

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Nothing better than a couple of delicious scrambled eggs in the morning, right? You know the tip: cook them in a Teflon frying pan to avoid sticking. But while you're probably an expert at making eggs, you might not know that Teflon was invented by accident.

In 1938, chemist Dr. Roy Plunkett was studying certain refrigerants. During his research, the chemist stored a sample of a gas called tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) in a cylinder to keep it isolated and controlled. When he checked the cylinder a few days later, he found that the gas had transformed into a waxy solid. It turned out that this new substance was not only slippery but also resistant to high temperatures. It was called "Teflon".

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Who hasn't had a Slinky in their hands as a child? Or even as an adult. It's one of those toys that definitely crossed generations. But you might be surprised to learn that this beloved toy was created by accident.

In 1943, naval engineer Richard James was working with springs designed to stabilize ship equipment. While testing the tension levels of various springs, he had a little accident: one of the springs fell down a staircase, but instead of falling straight, it "walked" down the steps. This trick fascinated James, who thought it would make a great toy. Talking to his wife, she came up with the catchy name "Slinky". By Christmas of 1945, Slinky was a huge hit as a gift, and the rest is history.

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Play-Doh is still one of the favorites among children worldwide. But this was not always the case.

Remember home decor from the '50s? Almost every house had wallpaper. It turns out that a cleaning products company in Ohio had something designed to clean wallpaper: a dough-like substance to which dust and other dirt adhered. But as people started using different materials for their walls (and we're thankful for that), the cleaner dough became obsolete.

Fortunately, the nephew of one of the company's employees had kids who started using the dough as a toy. Knowing it was non-toxic, the adults let them play with it. Thus, thanks to advancements in home decorating and the creativity -or boredom- of a couple of kids, the beloved Play-Doh was born.

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It's summer, the sun is blazing, and you're craving something sweet; what's the first thing that comes to mind? Of course: ice cream. It's hard to picture a delicious and refreshing ice cream without the classic cone, right? But how was the tasty cone invented?

Legend has it that the story began at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. Besides the games and attractions, the fair featured a variety of treats, including ice cream.

It turns out that an ice cream vendor ran out of plates and cups they used for serving at the time. But luck was on his side. Nearby, a waffle maker was preparing waffles in the shape of cones. Seeing this, the ice cream vendor had a great idea: serve the ice cream in those cones. That's turning a problem into an opportunity!

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Alexander Fleming is undoubtedly one of the most famous names in science. And with good reason, since he is the inventor of one of the most widely used antibiotics today. But this great medicine was also, in part, a product of chance.

It was 1928 when Fleming was experimenting in his laboratory with Staphylococcus bacteria. One day, the bacteriologist came across something unexpected: one of the bacterial cultures had been contaminated with mold. But that was not all: around the mold, there were areas where the bacteria seemed to be disappearing.

Thus, the skilled scientist discovered that mold could successfully kill different bacteria. He decided to name his discovery "penicillin".