Is "pidgeon" a correct spelling for the grayish fowl scientifically known as Columba livia domestica? Pigeon appears to be the more common spelling, but it looks strange to me. For comparison, wo...

Oct 3, 2023 · Pigeon is a borrowing from Anglo-Norman where the etymons are French pigon, pigeon. The earliest citation is found in Middle English, from 1375 per OED: 1375 Thomas Blont..hath …

Jan 11, 2012 · The Online Etymology Dictionary only has the origin of the stool pigeon (bird) one, so I was wondering if anyone could assist in finding the origin or first occurrence for stoolpigeon?

Jun 8, 2015 · I'm creating a history/fantasy story containing carrier pigeons or other messenger birds. Historically, as far as I understand it, certain people professionally trained and kept carrier pigeons or

Jul 6, 2016 · Is there a term that means you are both a night and a morning person in the same spirit as night owl and early bird? I've seen the joke 'permanently exhausted pigeon', which I like.

Dec 20, 2014 · 1 Oxford dictionary of Word Origins says that the British slang use of bird to mean a young woman is associated with 1960s and 1970s but as you mentioned also, it dates back to …

Nov 3, 2015 · PIGEON, n. A gallinaceous bird, of the genus Columba, of several species, as the stock-dove, the ring-dove, the turtle-dove and the migratory or wild pigeon of America.

Apr 19, 2012 · Flipping seems pretty straightforward, so the real question here is, where did "the bird " come from? Here's one account: bird (3) "middle finger held up in a rude gesture," slang derived from …

May 13, 2012 · Going to prison is called "doing a bid". What's the history behind that? Is it based on "doing bird" (based on being locked up like a bird)?

Interestingly, with the pair pigeon for the critter and squab for the food, it is the first one that comes from French and the second which is the native English word instead of the other way around. (Dove is …