On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: four colly birds. What? What the heck is a colly bird?
So glad you asked! The word colly is a transitive verb (chiefly British) meaning “to blacken with or as if with soot or smut.” A colly bird, therefore, is a common blackbird. Over the years, the phrase “four colly birds” has turned into “four calling birds,” at least here in the United States.
Have a fantastic weekend. Next week, at least we get some variety and our true love gives us something besides more birds!
Kara Church
Senior Technical Editor
619-542-6773 | Ext: 766773
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