electric scarecrow
n.— «Residents in the area near the Country Ribbon plant complained to city hall about the loud sound system that the plant was using to keep crows and seagulls away from its caged chickens. The plant, in the Pleasantville neighbourhood in the city’s east end, uses what’s called an electric scarecrow, which plays recordings of random loud noises.» —“Chicken plant told to cut crow-scaring racket” CBC (Canada) Aug. 16, 2006. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Brian from Lafayette, Indiana, wonders why chicken is abbreviated CHX in the restaurant industry. Using X as a substitute or shortener has a long history. Medieval scribes sometimes drew a line through the final stroke of an abbreviated word. This...
In 1916, a small-town newspaper in Pennsylvania printed a fanciful item about a local gathering with a guest list that included, among others, Miss Ella Vader, Mr. Ray Zor, and other punny names. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of...