I tell you, it's like the Library of Alexandria around here!

The sum total of the world's knowledge--but even better, you don't have to go to Egypt for it!

Chet the E-Mail Boy just came skipping up the basement steps (well, more like wheezing) with the following missive from Somewhat Anonymous Eric Bramblett, who lives in a place that rhymes with Ausdun, Texis, and works at some sort of education place there.

He writes:

Oh, Mighty Possum,

Since you are such a wonderful font of knowledge,

Eric recalls that I live for constant positive reinforcement...

I thought I'd ask you for the answer to a question that struck me this morning:

Why do we say that chickens "cluck," when they actually "buck?"

Thanks, and Happy Friday!
-Eric

EXCELLENT question, Anonymous Eric! (And Happy Friday to you, too!)

What Eric is referring to is a word concept that linguists call onamo onomont ontoma onomantopoe opptomonintumo "imitative harmony"; that is, words that sound like the sound they are describing. Bees buzz, my head thunks the desk, guns bang--you get the idea. I hope.

ANYWAY, from the 1913 Webster's, we see that "cluck" is defined thusly:

Cluck (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Clucked (?); p pr. & vb. n. Clucking.] [AS. cloccian; cf. D. klokken, G. glucken, glucksen, LG. klukken, Dan. klukke; all prob. of imitative origin.] To make the noise, or utter the call, of a brooding hen.

I'm not sure what all that crap means, but I think it's pretty obvious that we say chickens cluck because it's in the dictionary.

ON THE OTHER HAND, the idea that chickens buck is ludicrous. (No offense, Anonymous Eric.) Putting a saddle on one tends to crush it, and the thought that a cowboy would be caught dead competing in a bucking chicken event beggars belief. Now, you might be able to get a tiny little saddle and strap it on to a chicken, and maybe get a capuchin monkey to ride it, and the chicken might buck then, but, really, I think it would more than likely just run around until the monkey fell off, or until the monkey started biting the chicken, leading to possible death or even injury to the chicken.

As always, we stand ready here at the Possumblog Answer Desk to help you in any way possible.
posted by Terry at 9:22:00 AM