PatentAnon dropping some crazy stuff.
(archive.ph)
You're viewing a single comment thread. View all comments, or full comment thread.
Comments (27)
sorted by:
Stone the crows! We can stop saying he's gone postal. Now he's gone Patent Examiner!
"stone the crows"? I've never heard that one but it sounds cool- where is it from and what does it mean, please?
Going postal flows of the tongue better, but it's interesting how that suddenly stopped and never happened again?
What does it mean?..
https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/stone+the+crows
As to where it originated, that's a bit more fuzzy..
https://sayingsetc.blogspot.com/2010/01/stone-crows.html
Since it is an English idiomatic expression, my suspicion is that it has to do with the crows in residence at the Tower of London. Fits of political exaspiration made it into child's rhymes (e.g., "London Bridge is Falling Down," or "Humpty Dumpty") and I suspect into "minced oathes" meant to hold English royalty in contempt - without saying so obvioulsy.
As described by Yeoman Warders at the Tower if the crows in residence were to flee, it would mean the end of the monarchy; hence stoning the crows may refer to a wish for a permanent departure of the crows - and the monarchy along with it.
Just my guess. Brits care to weigh in?
It's as good a guess as any, I like it.