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Help[Opinions] Re: Bird
in reply to a message by Array
Isn't "bird" dismissive man-slang for a woman?
From http://english2american.com/dictionary/b.html
bird n. pron. "beud" (London); "burd" (Scotland). Woman. ... Bird is used when one is looking upon the fairer sex with a slightly more carnal eye. It's not quite at the stage of treating women as objects but the implication is certainly there. Likely to be used in the context "I shagged some random bird last night" (a popular usage) or "hey, Andy, I think those birds over there are looking at us". You'd never describe your grandmother as a bird. It's popular in Scotland to refer to one's girlfriend as "ma burd" but do it in front of her and you'll be choking teeth. About the only thing worse would be to call her "ma bint", which will warrant a foot in the testicles and a loose tongue concerning your sexual prowess. I am told the word itself is derived from the old norse word for "woman". The nearest equivalent to bird in US English is probably chick.
Maybe some folks living in the UK can tell us if this is significant.
If it's not, I like the name. It seems a little surnamey to me rather than naturey, but in an okay way. Birdie is too quaint for my taste.
- mirfak
From http://english2american.com/dictionary/b.html
bird n. pron. "beud" (London); "burd" (Scotland). Woman. ... Bird is used when one is looking upon the fairer sex with a slightly more carnal eye. It's not quite at the stage of treating women as objects but the implication is certainly there. Likely to be used in the context "I shagged some random bird last night" (a popular usage) or "hey, Andy, I think those birds over there are looking at us". You'd never describe your grandmother as a bird. It's popular in Scotland to refer to one's girlfriend as "ma burd" but do it in front of her and you'll be choking teeth. About the only thing worse would be to call her "ma bint", which will warrant a foot in the testicles and a loose tongue concerning your sexual prowess. I am told the word itself is derived from the old norse word for "woman". The nearest equivalent to bird in US English is probably chick.
Maybe some folks living in the UK can tell us if this is significant.
If it's not, I like the name. It seems a little surnamey to me rather than naturey, but in an okay way. Birdie is too quaint for my taste.
- mirfak
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Replies
It's definately significant. I live in England and it would be cruel to name a girl here Bird. I hate when guys use that term to describe girls/women, there's nothing nice about it.
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That's what I was thinking. On a boy it might work, or as a mn, but for a girl's fn it would be to much.
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