Chrysti The Wordsmith: Animals - 2

Greetings I'm Christie the wordsmith. Animals wild domesticated finned and feathered show up frequently in our common expressions from proud as a peacock to scapegoat to sitting duck to dog in the manger. Animals color and enliven are language marine creatures from time to time provide metaphor to clam up is to remain silent and tight lipped in resemblance to a stubborn hard hinged bivalve when we're pleased and content. We feel happy as a clam. An expression abbreviated from happy as a clam at high tide. A time when the clams lives are spared by their inaccessibility skin that is clammy feels cold damp and slimy like the flesh of a bi valve. Chickens in their long association with humans are deeply ingrained in the language. To be Chicken is to display all the bravery of a barnyard fall which is unimpressive to run around like a chicken with its head cut off is to run aimlessly and chaotically like chickens do for a few moments after their beheading.

Let us not neglect our nearest animal relatives monkey see monkey do refers to someone who copies the behavior of another. Inspired by the monkeys talent for mimicry I'll be a monkey's uncle as an expression of disbelief or surprise an allusion to the sceptical response of some to Charles Darwin's theory that humans are monkeys and apes share a common ancestry. I'm Christi the wordsmith from Montana State University in Bozeman Christie the wordsmith is sponsored by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Zoot enterprises a high tech firm in Bozeman Montana offering challenging careers and innovative solutions for the financial services industry. Pseud web dot com.