Tell me something funny

[Lainie]

For us Americans, what is a shuttlecock?

these things, we hit them back and forth with thin tennis racket style bats. do you not have badminton over there? x

 

[gwand]

these things, we hit them back and forth with thin tennis racket style bats. do you not have badminton over there? x

We do have badminton but I never heard that term. I need to become more worldly

 

[WhistlingBadger]

I used to have a dog called Minton that ate shuttlecocks... BadMinton lol x

My word, that's terrible even by my standards...

 

[JuiceBox52]

We do have badminton but I never heard that term. I need to become more worldly

Here in the US I’ve heard shuttlecocks called birdies

 

[gwand]

Here in the US I’ve heard shuttlecocks called birdies

Haha. I like the name birdie better than shuttlecocks. How did the Brit’s come up with that name.

 

[Essjay]

It's apparently derived from two words:
Shuttle - the thing that moves back and forth in loom weaving
Cock - for the resemblance to tail feathers.

A shuttlecock being a thing with feathers which moves back and forth between players.


I come from a region of England which had coal mining and cotton weaving as its two main industries so words like shuttle in the weaving context are familiar to me.

 

[gwand]

It's apparently derived from two words:
Shuttle - the thing that moves back and forth in loom weaving
Cock - for the resemblance to tail feathers.

A shuttlecock being a thing with feathers which moves back and forth between players.


I come from a region of England which had coal mining and cotton weaving as its two main industries so words like shuttle in the weaving context are familiar to me.

Thanks

 

[gwand]

Thanks for the etymological explanation. Makes sense.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Back in the 1950s we had a badminton net etc. in the yard. But we did not call it a shuttlecock, we always called it the "birdie."

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

You're welcome

 

[gwand]

Back in the 1950s we had a badminton net etc. in the yard. But we did not call it a shuttlecock, we always called it the "birdie."

We had one too in the 1950s. If I called the birdie a shuttlecock my mother would have slapped my face.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

 

[Rocky998]

Now you must ask... How did you find that humerus?

 

[gwand]

Now you must ask... How did you find that humerus?

It tickled my funny bone!

 

[jaylach]

It tickled my funny bone!

Grumble... In my opinion there is nothing funny about catching the funny bone.

Actually it is a nerve, not a bone, that goes from the shoulder to the hand. Most of the nerve is protected by bone, muscle and such but, when it goes past the elbow it is pretty much unprotected.

What to Know About Your Funny Bone

Find out what you need to know about your funny bone including what it is, why it feels weird, and what it does.

www.webmd.com