Have you ever called someone a social butterfly? Spilt a secret and let the cat out of the bag? Or maybe you’ve been a guinea pig in a cool social experiment? Phrases like these are so entrenched in our daily vocabulary that we rarely stop to think about their origins. Animal idioms and human behaviours ascribed to animal traits have been part of the English language for centuries. Let’s find out the story behind some such commonly used phrases.
CROCODILE TEARS
Definition: tears or expressions of sorrow that are insincere
At some point in our lives, we’ve all been at the delivering or receiving end of the phrase: Stop crying those crocodile tears. Young children are particularly well equipped to turn on the (fake) waterworks at the drop of a hat (and turn them off just as quickly). Crocodiles aren’t exactly known as sensitive or emotional animals, so where does this phrase come from? Turns out, crocodiles do cry, but it’s not because they’re sad about the kilograms of prey they’ve consumed. Like humans, the lachrymal gland in a crocodile produces tears, but their main purpose is to keep the eyes lubricated and clean. So if you do happen to spot a large weepy reptile, there’s no need for pity. It’s probably just preventing dry eye.
Left: Owl Photo: Trebol-a - CC BY-SA 3.0
Right: Bees Photo: Giancarlo.pak - CC BY-SA 4.0
WISE AS AN OWL
Definition: extremely wise
In cartoons, popular culture, and art, owls are often depicted as solemn and bespectacled, synonymous with wisdom and knowledge. Are owls really wiser than the next bird? Where did this idiom come from? The origins of this phrase can be traced back to ancient Greek mythology, where the goddess of wisdom, Athena, was often represented as an owl. Since then, the nocturnal bird has come to represent intellect. In reality, there’s no scientific proof that owls are any smarter than the next bird, but they are known as adept hunters with sharpened senses to capture prey even in the dark.
BUSY AS A BEE
Definition: very busy and active
We all know that one person who’s perennially buzzing about town, ticking items off a to-do list and being a general achiever of things. The one who’s always “busy as a bee”. But have you ever wondered why we say this, and what bees are busy doing? The little winged creatures are among the most hard-working of the insect world. Their job profile includes many components: collecting nectar to make honey; social service in the form of pollinating plants; and teamwork is essential in hive building. When bees flit from flower to flower, they actually transfer pollen, aiding in the plant’s reproduction process. Bees definitely have their work cut out for them.
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