The Finger/the birdbi

[Dennis R. Preston]

I have the accompanying "perch" command from at least the mid-50's. I
didn't hear "the bird" until the late 60's.

dInIs



>         Although the bird itself, I understand, is quite old, the OED takes
>this meaning of "bird" back only to 1968 - 1970 (which is shortly before I
>first heard the "finger" so called).  So:  Which came first, the bird or the
>perch?
>
>John Baker
>
>
>>  -----Original Message-----
>>  From: Dennis R. Preston [SMTP:preston at PILOT.MSU.EDU]
>>  Sent: Tuesday, January 22, 2002 6:36 PM
>>  To:   ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>>  Subject:      Re: The Finger/the birdbi
>>
>>  Good one Paul! Not just Chicago, Louisville too. There's that dang bird!
>>
>>  dInIs
>>
>>
>>
>>  >Does anyone else remember the fifties, in Chicago, when, when giving the
>>  >"finger", it was common to say, "Perch on this"?   Thereby neatly tying
>>  >together bird and finger.