DOUGLAS ©: TARY

A ROOSTER REALLY HAS SOMETHING TO CROW ABOUT.

None of us are really that far removed from the farm. We speak of intellectuals as
“egg heads" and when we dare someone we “egg them on". A shy person who unbends a
little has come out of his or her respective "shell". A touchy person is sometimes

a little "thin shelled". Others are "good eggs" or "bad eggs" depending on how well
we like them. A tough guy is "hard boiled". A deadbeat can be a "rotten egg". Some
are just "plain chicken shit". The town dandy may think he's "cock of the walk" but
world leaders view things differently from their lofty "perch". Any way you look at it
though, its the boxer who must guard against having his "brains scrambled".

If the "old rooster" is prone to "raising his hackles" don't "ruffle his feathers".

Only a "bird brain" would “poach" a rabbit out of season.

A young female homosapien is a "chick" or a "bird". Blondes of the species are for
some reason considered "feather brained". A gathering without men is a "hen party".
Some folk "cluck" disapprovingly of you, then "cackle" over your discomfort. Others
are just plain "cocky". A mentally disturbed person may be referred to as being

slightly "cracked". A lame person as having a "bumble foot".

There's nothing quite like "feathering your own nest" first or sleeping in a "feather
bed". An unsuccessful comedian "lays an egg" or stands there "with egg on his face".

The investment counsellor cautions you "not to put all your eggs in one basket".

If a married man starts chasing "a bit of fluff" he's looking for trouble. If he's
married to a dominering woman, chances are he's "hen pecked". Raise a family, and
before you realize it they're ready to "leave the nest". Kids are no longer satisfied
with a little loose "scratch" for an allowance. The way Dad talks, he can't have much
"to crow about" any more. His salary is mere "Chicken feed". One needs incentive or
recognition to "spur" one on to greater things. Its a case of which comes first,

"the chicken or the egg". To escape is to "fly the coop".

With winter upon us, mind you "don't freeze your wattles". A slip or fall could result
in a "rye neck". Illegible hand writing is often passed off as “hen tracks".

And so it goes. When you consider all of this, a rooster really has something to
“crow about". The "wily old bird".

These have been barn-yard ramblings by Ron Tarves, Institute of Environmental Studies.