That's One For the Birds Trivia Quiz

Answer: Big Bird

Born in Barbados in 1952, Joel Garner, also known as "Big Bird", was a member of the West Indies international cricket team from 1977 until 1987. At 6 foot 8 inches tall, this fast bowler is considered one of the tallest cricketers and fastest bowlers ever to play Test cricket. No doubt that will change eventually as time marches on.

He was nicknamed "Big Bird" after the beloved avian in the long running "Sesame Street" children's show.

Answer: Bird-brained

An idiotic person is commonly described as "bird-brained" from time to time. The slur is supposed to be that their brain is only the size of one inhabiting the head of a bird, but, quite frankly, likening some of the idiotic things carried out by various people worldwide from time to time, is a downright insult to those beautiful winged creatures. Synonyms for bird-brained include nitwit, featherbrained, dill, cuckoo, scatterbrain, and there are more than enough phrases to describe this condition as well.

This includes one we use here in Australia, which goes "A sandwich sort of a picnic".

Answer: A little bird told me

To have had something told to you by a little bird is to have some information given to you by a private or secret source. Oddly enough, this is thought to have sprung from the Bible's Ecclesiastes 10-20, where it states "Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter." Fair enough.

A more "modern" version of this expression can be found in Frederick Marryat's 1833 work, "Peter Simple" where he has a character state that "A little bird whispered a secret to me".

Answer: A chicken in every pot

"A chicken in every pot" is a saying that means everyone in the country or the state or village (in whichever context it is applied), will no longer be so poor that they can't afford to eat properly. The first record of this can be dated back to the reign of Henry IV of France who stated that "I want there to be no peasant in my realm so poor that he will not have a chicken in his pot every Sunday".

He must have been a rare King indeed! This expression was also used in 1928 during the campaign for the Presidency of the United States by Herbert Hoover, when he campaigned under the slogan, "A chicken in every pot and a car in every garage".

Answer: Bird Man

Born in Long Beach, California, in 1978, Chris Andersen was a basketball player, who, in 2016, was playing for Ohio's Cleveland Cavaliers. Before he commenced playing for this team in that year, however, Chris worked his way up through the minor leagues, then played for the Denver Nuggets and New Orleans as well.

His amazing height of 6 foot and 10 inches has earned him a rather appropriate nickname of "Bird Man", i.e., that he's so tall, he's up there with the birds. Foolishly, Chris also earned himself a two year ban from the game in 2006, but straightened his life out after that sobering up experience, and was back on the courts again in 2008.

Answer: As sure as eggs is eggs

"As sure as eggs is eggs" is a modern, and very ungrammatical, version of the older saying "As sure as X is X". This term mean that whatever topic is being discussed, it can be certain that it is true and accurate. This expression is believed to date back as far as the 17th century - or at least that is what is stated in the "Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable", but beyond that, no further information can be found.

Answer: As free as a bird

To be "as free as a bird" can be applied to various concepts - to be free from all responsibility, to be free from all debt, to be free from any emotional attachment, to have plenty of time on your hands, or to be released from prison. These all ultimately mean the same thing - you are your own person, footloose and fancy free, able to go where you will and with nothing at all to hold you back.

This bird expression has been around a long time, so long that its origin also cannot be located. It's probably flown away as free as a bird as well.

Answer: A bad egg

If anyone is described as "a bad egg", then it's best to stay clear of that person. It usually means that he or she cannot be relied upon, is deceitful or dishonest, and is not to be trusted. Though it has spread elsewhere in the English speaking world, this phrase is mainly associated with the United States.

The earliest recorded use of that phrase appears to be in the "Milwaukee Daily American" newspaper in September, 1856. It states here that "Mayor Wood is moving heaven and earth to procure his renomination. One of his dodges is, to get up letters in the newspaper, pretending to emanate from 'distinguished citizens,' including merchants, mechanics and working men, soliciting him in the most pathetic terms to present himself to the dear people.

There are also on the list a number of notorious blacklegs whom Woods keeps in pay. He is a bad egg".

Answer: A bird dog

A "bird dog", also known as a gun or hunting dog, is a canine that has been trained to retrieve game that has been shot by people with guns. It's a bit of an unfair competition really. Bird dogs use their strong power of smell to find the creature brought down.

These are usually birds, but other small animals are also killed and retrieved by these dogs as well. "Bird dog", when applied to a person, is someone who is usually very skilled at seeking out desirable objects (or people) and passing these on to the organisations who are prepared to pay for them. Examples of this could be a talent scout always on the look-out for the next fresh face, someone seeking to recruit another in some project or shady deal, or a reporter snooping around a certain place waiting for that breaking story to happen.

Answer: A bird of passage

"A bird of passage" in its most basic meaning is one of the many species that fly north or south for the winter, depending in which country they are usually found. When applied to a person, this term describes someone who never remains too long in any one place before moving along to new horizons. Restless and unsettled, they're like gypsies or other nomads always gone a-roving. For an adult, this perhaps wouldn't matter as much, but if children are involved, they need to able to attend school regularly and learn enough skills so they have more choices in life than endlessly roaming.