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stranger
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OP
stranger
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1 |
The mascot of Oglethorpe University in Atlanta is the stormy petrel. How they chose the mascot is quoted from their website:
"Oglethorpe University's mascot is the Stormy Petrel, affectionately called "Petey" by our students. It is said that the stormy petrel is the inspiration for Oglethorpe's motto: Nescit Cedere, translated as "He does not know how to give up."
Why a Stormy Petrel?
A stormy petrel is a seabird, commonly found on the Eastern seaboard, and known for flying low to the ocean to look for food. Dr. Thornwell Jacobs, Oglethorpe University's president from 1915-1943, chose the Stormy Petrel as the school's mascot. According to legend, James Oglethorpe was inspired by the courage of the small, gutsy bird as it dove in and out of the crashing ocean waves as he crossed the Atlantic Ocean in 1732."
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old hand
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old hand
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 956 |
Another Sea bird of note was the Albatross
At length did cross an Albatross, Thorough the fog it came ; As if it had been a Christian soul, We hailed it in God's name. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner - Samuel Taylor Coleridge
The Albatross was seen as an omen of Good luck to some seafarers. Woe betide anyone who dares shoot them with a crossbow.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295 |
Kibits:
[From Yiddish kibitsen, from German kiebitzen (to look on at cards), from Kiebitz (busybody, literally pewit or lapwing, a shorebird with a bad reputation as a meddler).]
Kibits, from Yiddish kibitzen and German Kiebitz, survived in out daily language as kissebissen, a word often heard when we were growing up and quarrelled about nothing worthwhile and were told not do so.
Pewit n 1: small black-headed European gull [syn: laughing gull, blackcap, pewit gull, Larus ridibundus] 2: large crested Old World plover having wattles and spurs [syn: lapwing, green plover, peewit] 3: small olive-colored woodland flycatchers of eastern North America [syn: pewee, peewee, peewit, wood pewee, Contopus virens]We have a wetlands-bird called kievit.
Lapwings are medium-sized wading birds belonging to the subfamily Vanellinae of the family Charadriidae, which also includes the plovers and dotterels. A lapwing can be thought of as a larger plover.
The definitions about the bird are not very clear, exept for that they refer to a little shore-side or wading bird. Many are classified under pewit or lapwing.
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stranger
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stranger
Joined: May 2007
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The term bird brain is particularly inappropriate. The idea that birds' brains are primitive was based on studies of their structure, which differs substantially from mammalian brains. More recent studies based on function show that bird brains are very efficient and process information in very different ways from ours. It seems clear that evolution wouldn't favor a big brained bird, nor would an inefficient brain permit navigating a woodlot at high speed. You can't survive 250 million years an be dull witted. When an if our species exists as long as the birds have then maybe we can "crow" about our intelligence.
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journeyman
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journeyman
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 74 |
Other interesting terms associated with birds:
quail - to lose courage; become cowed or fearful.
grouse - to complain, typically with sustained grumbling.
hawk - (n) one who preys on his fellow men (as a swindler) (v) to make an effort to raise phlegm from the throat; to clear the throat noisily. (v) to advertise or peddle (goods) in the street by shouting. snipe - to shoot from a hidden position at individuals of an enemy force.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295 |
Yes , I fully agree with you on this. We say "chicken brain" and I find that very inapproprite too. For I had three small sized chickens and found them very clever and reasonable. (I don't know how many millions of years the chickens did, but that does not count in my opinion about them)
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veteran
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veteran
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,529 |
I see. But let me see if I understand... You said that you found chickens to be "reasonable". Do you find bugs "reasonable"? How about fish? Are they reasonable? How about themilum? Do you find me reasonable? I find you sometimes reasonable, so come BranShea, about chickens and bugs and fish, let us reason together, viz. they all have brains the size of a BB.
Last edited by themilum; 05/19/07 10:50 PM.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2006
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Reason. Hmm? Tell me first then, please, what does BB stand for? Bumble Bee ? Brigitte Bardot? Oh!!!! I found it! Now you are in for big trouble. Talking about my chickens in association with THIS: Main Entry: 1BB Pronunciation: 'bE-(")bE Function: noun 1 : a shot pellet 0.18 inch in diameter for use in a shotgun cartridge 2 : a shot pellet 0.175 inch in diameter for use in an air gun I'm afraid I'll have to erase you from your own little list of "reasonable"now. I hate to do this, but Oh , well they were just chickens. And they had little brains enough to know that they had a good chicken life and become very old. (there's few chickens who can tell that story)
Last edited by BranShea; 05/21/07 09:43 AM.
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addict
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addict
Joined: May 2005
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Well, nothing to add really, other than an uncanny urge to make a cameo in this thread [?].
Last edited by Aramis; 05/23/07 05:31 PM.
ÅΓª╥┐↕§
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Well, nothing to add really, other than an uncanny need to make a cameo in this thread [?].
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