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Help[Facts] Polly
I'm not asking about the origin of this name, but I'm wondering how the name Polly came to be associated with parrots. It's probably the first name people think of when they think of names for a parrot.
Does anyone know where the parrot association with the name Polly comes from?
Does anyone know where the parrot association with the name Polly comes from?
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Replies
I can't add anything about Polly, but perhaps you know (you're Brazilian, I think?) if parrots in South America are called something other than Polly. I've been told that they are known as Robert, but that seems odd - why not Roberto, for one thing? And other animals ... English donkeys are known as Neddy, for instance, but I bet Portuguese and Spanish ones aren't.
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Innumerable vintage children's books! Most featuring donkey rides on beaches like Blackpool, Weston-super-Mare etc. And presumably this is happening less and less, so the usage would also fade.
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This article
http://mentalfloss.com/article/55350/why-do-we-call-parrots-polly
attributes it to the character of Lady Pol (the parrot) in Ben Jonson's play Volpone.
http://mentalfloss.com/article/55350/why-do-we-call-parrots-polly
attributes it to the character of Lady Pol (the parrot) in Ben Jonson's play Volpone.
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It appears to have been from a slogan for Nabisco (in 1876) and further popularized in R.L. Stevenson's Treasure Island (1883), though the phrase was seen in popular usage preceding these instances.
More at: http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/75551/why-does-polly-want-a-cracker
Additionally, it may be related, etymologically, to the word "pullet."
More at: http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/75551/why-does-polly-want-a-cracker
Additionally, it may be related, etymologically, to the word "pullet."
This message was edited 1/11/2015, 3:58 AM
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