Why do we say someone’s “bright-eyed and bushy-tailed”? Your chipper, chattering hosts are ready with the sciurine answer. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Bright-Eyed and Bushy-Tailed”
Hello, you have A Way with Words.
Hi, this is Becky Kennedy calling from San Diego.
Hello, Becky.
Hi.
I am calling because the other day I was getting my five-year-old up and I said something about her being bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and started wondering, what is bright-eyed and bushy-tailed?
Oh, are you worried that it’s something derogatory?
No, not at all.
Oh, okay.
I just had no idea what it meant to be bushy-tailed.
It means you hussy.
No, you shouldn’t say that to your child.
No, I’m kidding.
I’m kidding.
Becky, do you have a guess?
It sounds maybe some kind of critter-oriented, maybe.
Oh, yeah?
Yeah, yeah.
Do they have squirrels in San Diego?
Yeah.
It’s a squirrel.
It’s a squirrel.
It’s a squirrel.
Squirrels are, they’re little chattering, little jerky, active, hyperactive. They look like they’re jumped up on acorn juice, don’t they?
Yes, they do.
That’s why it refers explicitly to a squirrel. It’s over 150 years old, that expression.
Over 150 years old.
It’s an interesting thing about bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. It’s what Henry Fowler called a Siamese twin expression because you’ve got X and Y, and they always come paired together.
It’s always bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, right?
Yeah.
Just like it’s always spit and polished or sick and tired. They’re paired together.
Okay.
So I think it’s kind of nice to call your little girl a squirrel. A squirrel’s a cute animal, right?
A squirrel’s fine.
I think she’ll appreciate that.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I call my son all sorts of animals. Call him the otter monkey frog pterodactyl.
Okay, then.
Okay, then.
Well, you know, it is at different times of the day. They behave different ways, and different animal features leap out at you.
This is true.
When he walks around the house going, then he’s the pterodactyl.
Well, Becky, do you have coffee before you do this?
No.
No?
No, not a coffee drinker.
Do you give your child coffee?
Do I give her coffee?
Not usually.
Well, she would be bushy-tailed, let me tell you.
I’m sure she would. She’d be dressed at the door and waiting for the bus in no time.
I don’t think I could handle her being any more bushy-tailed.
That reminds me of that famous sign that’s supposedly in a bookstore in Portland, which is all unattended children will be given a puppy and an espresso.
Wonderful.
Well, thank you guys so much.
All right.
Thank you so much for your call, Becky.
You’re welcome.
Thanks, Becky.
Bye-bye.
Bye-bye.
A puppy and an espresso. Can you imagine that?
A place with a little, like, three-year-old running around and hopped up on caffeine.
Well, if you’ve got a question about animal language or animal sounds, or you just want to make a moo noise into the phone, give us a call at 1-877-929-9673, or send us an email to words@waywordradio.org.
