The Bird is the Word Trivia Quiz

Answer: Chicken

The chicken is a domesticated fowl kept by humans on every continent as a major food source (eggs and meat) and also as a pet. Estimates put the worldwide chicken population at over 20 billion. Over many centuries, in literature and popular culture, the word has become primarily equated with weakness or fear when associated with people. Examples in idiom are legion- "chicken-hearted," "chicken livered," "to play chicken," etc. Men who refer to females as "chicks" probably don't think about the subtly derogatory origin of the phrase. One of the first jokes grade school children in the United States learn is "Why did the chicken cross the road?" You figure it out.

Answer: Turkey

For some fowl reason, three strikes rolled in a row when bowling constitutes a "turkey." Around the turn of the 19th century, bowling tournaments handed out prizes to those who accomplished the feat- often food items, including turkeys at Thanksgiving time.

The name stuck. Due to rough lanes, manual pin setting, and shrewd managers who weighted down the pins, "turkeys" back then were a lot harder to score than they are today (source: "todayifoundout.com"). The negative sobriquet for a bad movie is similarly tied to the holiday.

In the early 1900s, the holiday season was when many plays were released, as with movies presently. The poorer efforts in this glut of new releases reminded folks of the boring repetition of leftover turkey dinners. My favorite short movie review of all time skewered "The Towering Inferno," a 1974 disaster film featuring Paul Newman and Steve McQueen.

It consisted of two words: "Towering Turkey."

Answer: Peacock

The peacock is the male of three species of birds in the family "Phasianidae," which also includes pheasants. The female peafowl is properly referred to as a "peahen." The Indian peacock is the most recognized example. It displays its impressive colored fantail train ostensibly to attract attention from prospective mates. I remember these birds strutting around uncaged among the patrons when we visited the zoo during my childhood.

The venerable logo for the National Broadcasting Company is the NBC peacock, first broken out on May 22nd, 1956 to trumpet their new color television programming.

Answer: Crow

The terms "crow" and "raven" refer to the many species of large black birds of the genus "corvus." The distinction is somewhat muddled but in general the larger species are called ravens, the smaller are crows. The origin of the idiom seems fairly obvious, as the stringy, gamy meat of the crow is undoubtedly distasteful for human consumption. Crows are highly intelligent, capable of complex tasks such as using tools, and they've even displayed an ability to facially recognize specific humans. Recent research shows that more densely packed neurons give added capacity to their relatively small brains, as compared to other animals with bigger brains.

Answer: Crow

The terms "crow" and "raven" refer to the many species of large black birds of the genus "corvus." The distinction is somewhat muddled, but in general the larger species are called ravens, the smaller are crows. If you've ever seen a huge flock of crows swarming in flight and landing together in a common tree, and heard the deafening collective sound of thousands of these squawking creatures as it seemingly echoes off the sky, you know why their name is associated idiomatically with loudly proclaiming one's accomplishments. For those interested in obscure collective nouns, a group of ravens was previously an "unkindness' or a "conspiracy."

Answer: Cardinal

As well as being a distinctively bright red crested common passerine bird (scientific name cardinalidae), a cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical leader and usually an ordained bishop of the Roman Catholic Church. The Northern Cardinal (aka Common Cardinal) is found throughout the central and eastern United States and into Mexico.

It is the state bird of seven states, the most of any species: Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia. As with many but not all bird species, the male is the more brightly colored. Female cardinals are sartorially subdued, having mostly light brown bodies with red shadings on the wings and tail. Like their male counterparts, they do sport red or red/orange beaks.

Answer: Cuckoo

The cuckoo (cuculus canorus) is a family of birds with a wide range of species found over all continents save Antarctica. Some are medium sized tree birds such as the European cuckoo, others are larger ground dwellers such as the roadrunner, found in the American southwest.

They have taken on various symbolic roles over the centuries in different cultures. In ancient Greece mythology, they were associated with the goddess Hera; in Europe, they were associated with cuckoldry, perhaps because of their behavior of laying their eggs in the nests of other birds.

This habit, and their distinctive call, often repeated incessantly throughout the day, is probably why their name became a slang word for "off the deep end mentally."

Answer: Duck

Duck as a verb is the physical act of quickly dipping or otherwise lowering your head to protect it from a projectile or object of potential danger. You might duck your head to avoid a low tree branch, or you might duck when someone yells "fore" on a golf course, indicating an poorly struck golf ball could be headed your way. Now the word can have a more figurative meaning of avoiding just about anything, such as an unpleasant job or a tax collector.

Answer: Hawk

As a verb: "The tradesman hawked his wares at the weekly flea market." As a noun: "The senate was dominated by hawks, who stirred war fervor and forced the adoption of a bloated military budget." The political usage was coined by US Congressman John Randolph of Roanoke, Virginia during the run-up to the War of 1812 which featured the new United States sovereign nation flexing its muscles against the United Kingdom over trade issues and forced impressment of US seamen into the British navy. Randolph staunchly opposed committing US forces. On the other side of the debate were John C. Calhoun of South Carolina and Henry Clay of Kentucky, whom Randolph labeled "war hawks."

Answer: Dove

Dove is a brand of soap (clean) and the dove bird has been and continues to be a universal symbol of renewal and non-violence (peace). Such symbolic uses date back to ancient civilizations and are found in Judaism, Christianity and Paganism. In the biblical story of Genesis, Noah releases a dove after the flood.

It searches out land and returns with an olive branch. A similar scenario is described in the "Epic of Gilamesh."

Answer: Eagle

The adoption of the eagle for the top Boy Scout honor was an obvious choice. The powerful eagle, majestic king of the skies and fearless apex predator, is synonymous with skill, independence and bravery. So how did the eagle in particular and avians in general land so permanently into the lexicon of golf scoring? Despite the United Kingdom and Scotland rightly claiming to have invented golf, it was Ab Smith, a regular player at the Country Club in Atlantic City in New Jersey, USA who came up with the names for the scores better than par. According to the USGA, while playing the par four second hole, Smith hit to within inches of the cup on his second shot.

He congratulated himself by saying "that was a bird of a shot." His playing partners began referring to a one under par score as a "birdie." From there, they simply extended the flight to an "eagle" for two under.

This supposedly occurred in either 1898 or 1903.

Answer: Owl

The night owl is idiomatically the person who is most alert, or tends to be most active well after the sun sets and probably into the wee hours of the morning. The bird of prey owl, although not the only avian with such habits, is definitely the most notable. Also known for their keen eyesight and hearing, they make formidable hunters as they go after all manner of insects, worms, crustaceans, amphibians, reptiles, and small mammals, depending on the species of owl.

It's said to be bad luck if you see an owl during the day.

When talking about owls or bird behavior in general, it's wise(!) to avoid absolutes. Owls are not more intelligent than other birds of prey, they just look that way to some people. Also, while most owls are exclusively nocturnal, they remain alert even when sleeping, and if disturbed will adjust location. Only two owl species are truly diurnal (active during the day): The northern hawk owl and the northern pygmy owl.

A few others, such as the short-eared owls, which are found over a wide range from Asia to the Galapagos Islands, are considered crepuscular (active at dawn and twilight), diurnal AND nocturnal! If you see one of these guys by sunlight, not to worry.

Answer: Goose

Geese, for whatever reason, get to carry multiple idioms on their silly backs. "You're goose is cooked" notably appears in both the film and stage versions of "Les Miserables." It generally means that you have been found out, your scheme didn't work out, and/or you have no hope.

The jig is up, no dice, cows coming home to roost, you're in for it now, bro' you are out of luck and you'd better duck! Many origins of the expression float around on the internet, the most interesting connecting it to 15th century Czech reformer Jan Hus (similar to "husa" the Czech word for goose, get it?) who was burned at the stake by some ornery Catholics in 1415. "Worldwidewords.com", a fairly rational, conservative and measured site discounts this as improbable, because the idiom didn't turn up in print for at least three more centuries. Used as a slang verb "goose" means "poking someone in the behind in order to startle them." No doubt some poor fool experience this by venturing too near a real goose and turning his back on the long-necked creature with the pointy bill. Thank goodness there was a lexicographer nearby to coin the phrase.

Answer: Yellow bellied sap sucker

Always one of my favorite birds as a child, mostly because of its name, the yellow-bellied sap sucker does just what that name implies. It's a medium sized woodpecker found widely throughout forests of Canada and the northeastern USA. It is white with black stripes on its head and wings, a red crown, and a yellowish tan tinge to its breast feathers.

It feeds by tapping on bark of decaying trees and finding insects trapped in the sap beneath. The associations of the color yellow, and especially "yellow-bellied," with cowardice, are old, with origins much disputed but possibly related to birds like the one in question. Widely in use in America in the 19th century, the usage goes back at least to the 18th century England. To wit, Grose's "Provincial Glossary" from 1787: "Yellow bellies.

This is an appellation given to persons born in the Fens, who, jocularly speaking, have yellow bellies like eels." This evidently referred to people from the Lincolnshire Fens who were thought to have "yellow, sickly complexions from residing in marshy areas."

Answer: Cock

"When the rooster crows at the break of dawn..." - Bob Dylan, from song "Don't Think Twice". Why does a cock crow but a crow doesn't cock?

From the Old English and Old French via Medieval Latin, cock is the simple word for a male bird, especially a rooster. It has taken on many other meanings, including pulling back the firing mechanism of a gun. And, anyone who's closely observed the head movements of a rooster can see where it came to mean "tilting one's head to the side."