Figurative use of cuckoo, which exists as an adjective meaning “crazy” or “weak in intellect or common sense,” and as a noun for a person who can be described as such, may be an allusion to the bird’s eponymous (and monotonous) call.
Is cuckoo an insult?
Slang. a crazy, silly, or foolish person ; simpleton.
What does going cuckoo mean?
exp. go crazy about something, get enthusiastic.
What is the synonym of cuckoo?
mad, maniacal (also maniac), mental, meshuga.
When did cuckoo mean crazy?
Slang adjectival sense of “crazy” is American English, 1918 , but noun meaning “stupid person” is recorded by 1580s, perhaps from the bird’s unvarying, oft-repeated call.
Why is it called cuckoo?
Though there are 54 species of Old World cuckoos, just two live in Europe; most live in Africa, Asia and Australasia. The name cuckoo is onomatopoeic, which means that it is taken from the bird’s call (like, for example, curlew and hoopoe).
How do you spell cuckoo as in crazy?
The definition of coocoo is crazy, sometimes used in a playful or teasing manner. An example of coocoo is spending five hours at the gym every single day.
How do you use cuckoo in a sentence?
1 The cuckoo comes in April, and stays the month of May; sings a song at midsummer, and then goes away. 2 The cuckoo comes in April, and stays the month of May; sings a song at Midsummer, and then goes away. 3 In England the cuckoo is the herald of spring. 4 The cuckoo lays her egg in another bird’s nest.
What does the cuckoo say?
Calls. Male Yellow-Billed Cuckoos make a distinctive series of hollow, wooden-sounding ka-ka-ka-ka-ka-kow-kow-kowlp-kowlp-kowlp-kowlp syllables. The whole series is quite slow and gets slower toward the end; calls can last up to about 8 seconds.
What is the opposite of cuckoo?
Opposite of not having a sound state of mind. balanced sane sound uncrazy.
What is a cuckoo head?
English translation: cuckoo head: someone who is not quite with it, nutty, silly, crazy.
Where is a cuckoo born?
This species is a widespread summer migrant to Europe and Asia, and winters in Africa It is a
brood parasite
, which means it lays eggs in the nests of other bird species, particularly of dunnocks, meadow pipits, and reed warblers.
Why is cuckoo known to be a lazy bird?
CUCKOO IS CALLED A LAZY BIRD BECAUSE IT DOES NOT MAKE A NEST OF ITS OWN ,IT LAYS ITS EGGS IN THE NEST OF THE CROW , WHERE THE EGGS LOOK LIKE ITS OWN.
How do you use hollow in a sentence?
It made her feel hollow. Dan leaned back into the hollow of the tree in which they’d taken refuge. The tentacles are usually hollow, rarely solid (Obelia) They nest in hollow trees, and lay white eggs.
What is the sentence of gushes?
She let out the breath in a gush of air. He decided that even if she sounded like a cat in heat, he would gush over her with praise. Many may expect to see a gush of water when this occurs, but this rarely happens.
How do you use knife in a sentence?
Use “knife” in a sentence The man attacked him with a knife This knife has no sharp edge. We usually eat with a knife, fork and spoon. I injured myself with a sharp knife.
Are cuckoos female?
The female differs from the male in being slightly paler grey on the throat and in having more brown on the breast and tail The barring on the belly is narrower than in the male. Nestlings have an orange-red mouth and yellow flanges to the gape. The call is loud with four notes.
What is special about cuckoo?
The cuckoo is a brood parasite. It is well-known for its habit of laying an egg in the nest of another bird, then leaving the offspring to be hatched and fed by ‘foster parents’ This cunning tactic allows for more young cuckoos to be reared than would otherwise be possible.
Why do cuckoos sing only in summer?
koels mate
during
spring season
and lay eggs to increase their population. The male koel produces the pleasant ku-hu notes to attract the female koel in this season only. Once the spring season is over the male koel does not sing That is the reason why we hear the singing of koel only during spring.
What birds nests do cuckoos lay their eggs in?
As brood parasites, cuckoos do not raise their own young, instead laying eggs in the nests of other birds, which raise the chick thinking it is one of their own. The nests of dunnocks, meadow pipits and reed warblers are favourites.
What is the synonym of insane?
OTHER WORDS FOR insane 1 demented; lunatic, crazed, crazy; maniacal. foolish, irrational See synonyms for insane on Thesaurus.com.
What’s the definition of loony?
a person who is crazy, silly, or strange : He considered that most of the people he had to deal with were loonies of one sort or another. Synonyms.
References
https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cuckoo
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/cuckoo
https://www.yourdictionary.com/cuckoo