As the crow flies
This is a frequently used idiom to describe the distance between two points. It means the most direct route, ignoring natural or man-made barriers. A journey by foot or in a vehicle may take eight miles, but if it were possible to take an unswerving path, it might only be four or five miles.
Crows do not literally fly in straight lines, but their flight is steady with little of the dipping and swooping associated with some other birds. The expression may have arisen from the fact that crows are noisy and noticeable and can often be seen beating alone across the sky.
The earliest printed record of the phrase occurred in 1761 in the Irish periodical ‘The Gentleman’s and London Magazine.’ It was used in that publication to discuss distances in America. More than sixty years later, it was used by Charles Dickens in his 1838 novel ‘Oliver Twist’ and came into popular parlance thereafter as a way of estimating distances and travelling times before maps were commonplace.
I love crows. They always come to the garden and caw loudly until I put out peanuts for them lol
ReplyDeleteThey remember the people who are kind to them.
DeleteI like crows too, but don't see "mine" much these days, it's winter so they are hunkered down in their nests I suppose.
ReplyDeleteThat's probably right. Birds don't like rain and wind.
DeleteI love animals, but your crow has cruel eyes and a potentionally dangerous sharp beak. They probably keeps him well fed and safe from enemies.
ReplyDeleteBut labrador dogs, penguins, koalas, red pandas, antelopes etc are so good looking, they don't threaten others. (Mind you, they may not be able to defend themselves as well as the crow).
I love crows.This one and his mate used to follow us, waiting for food. When they had young they were 'introduced' to us.
DeleteRogue crows, in my neighborhood they overturn all the trash cans and scatter garbage on the ground, shouting like crazy even before 5:00 in the morning :)))
ReplyDeleteThey will take easy pickings if they're available.
DeleteNo crows here but straight lines over mountains like these seem a bit discouraging. Less than 4 miles to Picton as crows might fly - about 40 miles by road round hills and water.
ReplyDeleteThat puts it in perspective.
DeleteIn German we have a lot less poetic way to express this - we simply say "Luftlinie", an imaginary straight line through the air. "As the crow flies" sounds much nicer!
ReplyDelete"Making a bee-line" is truly apt, because bees are super-efficient and don't dawdle or waste any energy on unnecessary flight. Once they have located a source of food, they fly there in a straight line, and the same is true for the way back to the hive. The bee keeper who is looking after the two hives at my employer's told us that.
Do you have some of the honey from the hives? I don;t like honey, but for those who do, it would be a real treat.
DeleteI haven't yet tasted the "company honey"; we can buy a jar at 5 euros when the year's batch is available, but they always sell out very quickly because there aren't many, of course, from just two hives. Those who have eaten it say it is very nice.
DeleteOur crows nest in our very tall Scots Pine and always make a helluva racket ... and a mess on the car parked beneath it!
ReplyDeleteThey're not house (or car) trained, certainly.
DeleteCrows are remarkable creatures. And if there were any shortcuts in the air, I would bet on the crows and other corvids knowing them!
ReplyDeleteAll the corvids are smart birds - I love them.
DeleteIt’s a well-known phrase to me, and this post is also something to crow about — an expression that you could also delve into to save me the trouble. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for the hint . . .
DeleteThat’s a phrase I’m familiar with. I don’t think I’ve ever used it myself though
ReplyDeleteIt's probably falling out of use now, I suppose.
DeleteI guess today we should say "as the drone flies", or maybe "as the bee flies" based on the Librarian's comment. Crows in reality probably make diversions regularly, when they spot food or something else of interest.
ReplyDelete'As the drone flies' isn't nearly as colourful an image, though. We could have 'as the missile flies' - even more worrying.
DeleteMy husband and I use the phrase constantly. I don't think there's anybody younger than us that was even knows what we're talking about when they hear us. Also people younger than us I don't think they know what a crow is.
ReplyDeleteIt's one of those things we say without thinking much about it.
DeleteA phrase we all use without consciously thinking of its origins.
ReplyDelete. . . as we do with so many phrases.
DeleteI would've thought Shakespeare coined the phrase.
ReplyDeleteThat would have been a likely source, but I can't find anything linking him to it, though he writes of birds a lot.
DeleteInteresting birds but a bit too noisy for me 🤭😂
ReplyDeleteAlison in Devon x
They're certainly not peaceful birds.
ReplyDeleteWhenever someone says "as the crow flies" I always say, "Well, how far is it when the crow's driving?"
ReplyDelete😀😷
Deleteá vol d'oiseau is the French way. Most of the European languages use just a bird to describe the straight line rather an specifically a crow. Tolkein said as the wolf runs in Lord of the Rings when talking of a length of a journey being more as the wolf runs than as the crow flies. Rachel
ReplyDeleteInteresting!
DeleteCrows are noisy, but they're cute and smart.
ReplyDeleteThey're very entertaining.
DeleteI hear they are intelligent
ReplyDeleteVery much so.
DeleteI've often wondered why we say "crow," specifically, but now you've answered that question!
ReplyDeleteCrows seem to play quite a part in our language.
DeleteI so love reading your blog. You always share very interesting information. I thank you for that. Have a nice day today.
ReplyDeleteThat's so kind of you, Nicole. Thank you. 😊
DeleteThose birds are incredibly cheeky! I don't know how many we have here in the park, but they make such a racket! Besides, they eat the smaller birds and aren't afraid of anything, they even share a food bowl with the castle cats. They know exactly when breakfast time is and who scatters bread on the grass! They seem to get along well with the magpies, too.
ReplyDeleteInteresting to learn of the origins of this popular expression!
ReplyDelete🐦⬛🐦⬛
DeleteI have heard that one before.
ReplyDeletePerhaps you have a different expression.
DeleteAlthough they can be noisy, crows are intelligent.
ReplyDeleteOur family does use the term 'as the crow flies'
All the best Jan
I like crows. 🐦⬛🐦⬛🐦⬛
DeleteIt good in my book if it's how a crow flies. You know I love me my crows. (And what a handsome fellow the one in your photo is!)
ReplyDeleteWe called him Bill and his mate was Beatrice. They followed us every day, but it was clear where their territory ended. It was fun trying to feed them without the dogs noticing. 🐦⬛🐦⬛🐦⬛
DeleteSo interesting. 1761? I did not realize they had magazines then. I can understand why it became more popular after Charles Dickens used it.
ReplyDeleteHe popularised many things.
DeleteBeyond this example, Charles Dickens contributed SO MUCH to language development. One of the absolute best!
ReplyDeleteI was brought up in Dickens country, in the County of Kent.
DeleteWe have crows in our neighborhood and I enjoy watching them and listening to them when I'm in my backyard. They do generally fly straight across my backyard unless they are harassing the local Red-shouldered Hawk.
ReplyDeleteThey have a variety of calls. I like to hear them chuckling.
DeleteI thoroughly enjoy you original of words you post. Thank you! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Denise.
DeleteCrows are so big, none around here but we have very noisy Jackdaws.
ReplyDeleteJackdaws are a little shyer than crows, I think. We see more crows and magpies than jackdaws
DeleteVery interesting!
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteWe have a similar expression in Swedish but not specifically about crows but just "birds", for the flying distance between two places. ("fågelvägen" = bird's way)
ReplyDeletePeople have observed birds for centuries, so there must be an element of truth in the saying.
DeleteI thought the expression was "As the Cro flies..." (i.e. Cro Magnon). That flight would be characterised by laboured flapping about and groaning.
ReplyDeleteI shall now have to investigate . . .
ReplyDeleteInteresting background. Had no idea. Not sure I ever thought much about it. I do whatever I can to discourage The Crows that we have around here. They're very loud and chase away the nice birds. Their dirty birds, no way would I feed them. I've even seen them chasing the neighbors little cat when it was young. I ran out yelling and swing my arms to get them to go away.
ReplyDeleteOne year a young crow perched on one of the arches and 'courted' our little black Labrador. It was funny to watch.
DeleteThey stole bright red small glass stones from my bird bath. Wonder what they did with them.
ReplyDeleteThey like shiny objects. Perhaps they put them in their nest.
Delete