fossilesque@mander.xyzM to Science Memes@mander.xyzEnglish · 8 days agoAerosolmander.xyzexternal-linkmessage-square130linkfedilinkarrow-up1973arrow-down111
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minus-squareBlanketsWithSmallpox@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up4·7 days ago Top contenders: Red-cockaded Woodpecker — “cockaded” refers to a ribbon or rosette ornament once worn on hats, not anatomy. Cock-of-the-rock — sounds like a tavern name invented by a teenager. Dickcissel — often cited as the funniest North American bird name. “Dick” was historically a common nickname for a male bird. Bush Thick-knee — not penis-related, but frequently gets laughs. Rufous-naped Lark — harmless, but “rufous-naped” is often misread at a glance. Shag — in British English, perfectly normal; elsewhere, not so much. Cockatoo — contains “cock,” though the name comes from Malay, not English. Woodcock — another classic. Black-cockatoo and other cockatoos — bonus points for stacking “cock” into longer names.