Grousing about Birding.

In the grasslands of Colorado, I found myself trailing a Sharp-tailed Grouse. I had a long lens, and took its picture. Not great by today’s standards, but it grabbed the moment.

I was watching a grouse. Did that mean I was “grousing?” Hell, no. I know what grousing means. I’m well known for doing it. Just ask my wife.

This got me thinking about the word “birding.” I generally don’t use it, preferring the term “bird watching.”

I was grouse watching. Not grousing. I was bird watching, not birding. When I’m monkeying with something, I’m not watching monkeys. If I were, I’d call it monkey watching.

These days, there’s an increasingly popular practice of “verbing” nouns. See? The noun “verb” was just used as a verb.

Time out…

This is a two-fisted site. Discussion of English usage is going to wind up with a bloody nose if it’s not careful. So we’ll be quick.

Others may go “birding.” That’s cool. I like these birders. I’m impressed by how good some of them are. But I’m going to stick with “bird watching,” if it’s all the same. And it is.

This probably wouldn’t be worth discussing if “verbing” hadn’t gone too far recently. For example: A business acquaintance said he was “dialoguing” about something. Give me a break.

“Parenting” has wormed its way into common talk. (Yeah, “worm” can be a verb. But at least it doesn’t mean “worm watching”). Anyway, don’t parent; just be a parent.

One final example: “tasking.” Those toadies on TV’s “The Apprentice” are “tasked” to do some degrading thing, then they “task” each other, too.

Enough.

While hiking in Colorado I also saw a Golden Eagle, Steller’s Jays, a novel Gray Jay—uninteresting to look at, but a first for me—and I got close-up views of a Clark’s Nutcracker and Western Tanager.

I saw them while “bird watching.” Many people who share my interest in these sightings would call what I did “birding.” I guess there’s room enough out there for both terms. But you know how I feel.

Meanwhile, we’re done dialoguing about this.

5 Responses to “Grousing about Birding.”

  1. R.A. Stewart says:

    “Verbing weirds language.”–Calvin & Hobbes.

    Just discovered the Two-Fisted Bird Watcher. Good site.

  2. Amy says:

    I vote for “bird watching” too… great post!

  3. marc d. says:

    Just got your blog posting on grousing. Below, more interesting and hilarious words. Sent to me by a cousin in Santa Fe. Good for a few laughs.

    The Washington Post’s Mensa Invitational once again invited readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition.

    Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject
    financially impotent for an indefinite period of time.

    Ignoranus : A person who’s both stupid and an asshole.

    Intaxication : Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.

    Foreploy : Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.

    Giraffiti : Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.

    Sarchasm : The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn’t get it.

    Karmageddon : It’s like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it’s like, a serious
    bummer……like

    Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.

    Caterpallor ( n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit
    you’re eating.

    The Washington Post has also published winning submissions to its yearly contest, in which readers are asked to supply alternate meanings for common words.

    Coffee, n. The person upon whom one coughs.

    Flabbergasted, adj. Appalled by discovering how much weight one gained.

    Abdicate, v. To give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.

    Willy-nilly, adj. Impotent.

    Gargoyle, n. Olive-flavored mouthwash.

    Flatulence, n. vehicle that picks up someone run over by a steamroller.

    Balderdash, n. A rapidly receding hairline.

    Testicle, n. A humorous question on an exam.

  4. Jeff L. says:

    I just looked on my phone and clicked through to the site. Now I am ready to see if Clint can out “task” the blondie 🙂

  5. Greg N. says:

    I have had at least three snarky, in-kind comments started. But they just can’t stand up to the post. Damn your black heart, Two-fisted Birdwatcher!!!!