Category: Nature
-
Corpse Flower
Today’s expression: “ne pas casser trois pattes à un canard.” Literal translation: not to break three legs on a duck. Signification : ne rien avoir d’extraordinaire ; être banal ; n’avoir rien de remarquable ; ne pas casser des briques ; ne pas casser des meubles ; ne pas casser les vitres ; être très…
-
fANTastic (Part 2)
Today’s quote: “Ants have the most complicated social organization on earth next to humans.” – E. O. Wilson How many ants are there? More than anyone could count. More than everyone could count if we all counted together as fast as we could for all our lives. There was an article in the Washington Post…
-
25 Bird Photos
Amuse-bouche: I see someone holding a pair of sunglasses in the hand which blocks the sun from their eyes. “Look at that guy over there.” “Hold on, it’s too bright. Okay, I see him, but I don’t get it. What am I supposed to be looking for?” The same thing you’re doing. “Nevermind.” Today’s Wonderful…
-
Critters
Today’s quote: When in doubt, don’t. – Ben Franklin You can’t spell astonishing without ant. Today is a day to talk about the most numerous of all crawling critters on this planet. The information presented today comes from National Geographic and can be explored in more detail by clicking this link. Ten facts about ants…
-
Birdfy Review
Today’s quote: “With the birds I share this lonely view.” – Red Hot Chili Peppers, Scar Tissue Hey, Mr. Painted Bunting, you got a little something there. No, on the other side. There. And another at the top of your nose. Not quite. A little lower. No, still there. Don’t worry about it. It’ll fall…
-
Ginormous
Today’s expression: Easy does it! Meaning: Slow down! (And be careful.) “Easy does it” is used to tell someone to go ahead with something with slowly, and carefully. Read more about the meaning and origin here. The Giant Sequoia, originating in California, has an average lifespan of 3,000 years and can grow up to 94.8 m…
-
Camping
Today’s expression: “to hit the sack.” Meaning: to go to bed; to go to sleep. Alternative: “to hit the hay.” Origin: It’s assumed that both “hit the sack” and “hit the hay” came from the fact that beds used to be made of cloth stuffed with hay. Some have also suggested that people used to hit…
-
Augur
Today’s quote: « Les cathédrales sont bellesEt hautes sous le ciel bleu;Mais le nid des hirondellesEst l’édifice de Dieu. » – Victor Hugo, Les Contemplations Augur Q&A What does it mean to be an augur? Being an augur means you observe and interpret natural signs, particularly the behavior of birds. How do modern-day augurs differ…
-
Rabbit trail
Today’s expression: « poser un lapin » Signification : faire attendre quelqu’un en n’allant pas au rendez-vous fixé ; ne pas honorer une rencontre prévue ; se défausser d’un rendez-vous ; ne pas venir au rendez-vous fixé à quelqu’un Traduction : to stand someone up Exemple : « Tu sais, hier soir, j’avais rendez-vous avec cette fille que…
-
Flock together
Today’s expression: “Birds of a feather flock together.” Meaning: People who are alike often become friends and stay friends. Origin: The idea of “like seeks like” dates from ancient Greek times, and “Birds dwell with their kind” was quoted in the apocryphal book of Ecclesiasticus. The full saying in English was first recorded in 1545. Today, it’s…
-
Liar Bird
Today’s quote: “Wise sayings often fall on barren ground, but a kind word is never thrown away.” – Arthur Helps Never miss a chance to say or do something kind for someone. Kindness takes trillions of different shapes. You could say there are countless kinds of kindnesses. Anyone and everyone can create their own version…
-
Giant Squid
Amuse-bouche: “Giant squid” in Irish directly translates to “big mother of suck.” Today’s Wonderful Word: “Hobson-Jobson.” Definition: the alteration of a word or phrase borrowed from another language to accord more closely with the phonological and lexical patterns of the borrowing language. Etymology: Hobson-Jobson comes from the Arabic lament ḥasan ḥusayn. British soldiers stationed in…
-
fANTastic
Today’s expression: to get some sun. Meaning: to spend time in the sunlight; to get sunburned Example: “Your back looks red. Did you get some sun at the beach?” Start counting now. Spend several lifetimes counting. Spend 10,000 years counting as fast as you can, and you still won’t make it to 1% of the total…
-
Our antcestors
Amuse-bouche: I saw a neon sign that said “Morrison’s,” but the middle 3 letters were burned out. Today’s Wonderful Word: “heiligenschein.” Definition: a bright ring, caused by diffraction of light rays, that appears around the shadow cast by a person’s head on wet grass. Etymology: Heiligenschein is from German, in which it means “halo” or,…
-
Climate change
Amuse-bouche: I used to be indecisive, but now I’m just not sure. Today’s Wonderful Words: “rubbernecking.” Rubbernecking is a derogatory term primarily used to refer to bystanders staring at accidents. It is often the cause of traffic jams, sometimes referred to as “gapers’ block” or “gapers’ delay”, as drivers slow down to see what happened…
-
You got questions? We got ants, sirs.
Today’s expression: “Give it a rest.” Meaning: If you tell someone to give it a rest, you want them to stop doing something or stop talking about something because it’s annoying you. One time, I was backpacking with a group from school. And I had a few granola bars in my pack. There were some…
-
Bare burdens
Amuse-bouche: I had a little bird. Its name was Enza. I opened up the window, And in flew Enza. Today’s Wonderful Word: “ornithology.” Definition: a branch of zoology that concerns the methodological study and consequent knowledge of birds with all that relates to them. I see it. There it is. I can swoop. I can…
-
Birdlike
Amuse-bouche: “What if humans are just birds with their heads on backward?” – Anonymous Source Today’s Wonderful Word: “inauspicious.” Definition: showing or suggesting that future success is unlikely. Etymology: The term “inauspicious” is related to the Latin word for “divination from flight of birds,” or “birdwatching.” “What do you want to be when you grow…
-
Bird’s Eye View
Today’s expression: “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.” Explanation: it’s better to hold onto something you have rather than take the risk of getting something better which may come to nothing. It’s like the idea of betting double or nothing. Expressions The early bird gets the worm. = Those who…
-
Peregrines
Today’s quote: “With the birds I’ll share this lonely view.” Red Hot Chili Peppers, Scar Tissue According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a peregrine is “a powerful falcon found on most continents, breeding chiefly on mountains and coastal cliffs.” I love that they used the word “powerful,” even though they aren’t all that large. The peregrine…
-
Walk Beneath the Walking Tree
Today’s expression: « faire la grasse matinée. » Literal translation: to do / make the fat morning. Figurative translation: to sleep late, to sleep later than usual, to stay in bed after waking up. Take a walk with me beneath the arches of the walking tree. Banyans are native to India and only grow in…
-
An Army of Ants
Amuse-bouche: “It smells like updog in here.” “What’s updog?” “Nothing much, what’s up with you?” Today’s Wonderful Words: an army of ants, a herd of antelopes, a flutter of butterflies… Our old apartment complex featured engravings on the sidewalk showing names for groups of animals and corresponding pictures. Along the scenic walk from our apartment…
Ça vous dit quelque chose ? 