Ha ha, I remember being a really little kid and chasing birds around with the salt shaker! Never did manage to get close enough to catch one.But when I was 5, we went to Atlantic City, and I started chasing the pigeons on the boardwalk. And I actually managed to grab one (the were pretty bold and unafraid of humans!) Of course, it had never occurred to me what I would actually DO with a bird if I caught one.….I screamed, threw it up in the air, and ran back to my parents!
I didn’t understand one bit of that (the comic, not the story in the last comment.) is there some myth about putting salt on a birds tail? And what is about the comment on the turtles’ “game”?
The old saw is, “If you pour salt on a bird’s tail, you can catch it.” The implication is that salt will keep the bird from flying away. The truth is that, if you can get close enough to pour salt on his tail, your close enough to grab the bird.As to the “game”, it is a synonym for ability. “Dude’s got game!” means he has the skills needed to accomplish his task. In this case, the buzzard showed up the turtle (“tortoise!”) as not being as skilfull as he had thought.
TheWildSow over 8 years ago
Ha ha, I remember being a really little kid and chasing birds around with the salt shaker! Never did manage to get close enough to catch one.But when I was 5, we went to Atlantic City, and I started chasing the pigeons on the boardwalk. And I actually managed to grab one (the were pretty bold and unafraid of humans!) Of course, it had never occurred to me what I would actually DO with a bird if I caught one.….I screamed, threw it up in the air, and ran back to my parents!
kaystari Premium Member over 8 years ago
I didn’t understand one bit of that (the comic, not the story in the last comment.) is there some myth about putting salt on a birds tail? And what is about the comment on the turtles’ “game”?
Kirk Barnes Premium Member over 8 years ago
The old saw is, “If you pour salt on a bird’s tail, you can catch it.” The implication is that salt will keep the bird from flying away. The truth is that, if you can get close enough to pour salt on his tail, your close enough to grab the bird.As to the “game”, it is a synonym for ability. “Dude’s got game!” means he has the skills needed to accomplish his task. In this case, the buzzard showed up the turtle (“tortoise!”) as not being as skilfull as he had thought.
Kirk Barnes Premium Member over 8 years ago
There is also a bit of “pouring salt in the wound” going on here, too!