Why do they call talking about sex the "birds and the bees" ?
144073
I used to think it was a reference to something very common in life, like the birds and the bees are in nature. It was a kind of twisted reference to something so plain and commonplace, in a satirical way. But this question coming up here made me look around. I think the following article gives a plausible explanation.\n\nhttp://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-bir1.htm
869396
I totally agree with you. It does not make any sense at all because when I talk to people and say something about people sleeping together everyone always assumes they had sex which was not what I meant at all. I think it just became a more polite way for adults in particular to say having sex because first of all they usually sleep together after the sex and second of all I think it became common when woman wanted to tell their friends about their aquintences and leave out all the details. It just a casual way to say having sex I guess.
339788
Part of out pheramone system. Sexual scents to attract another. We have a society have determined it to be fowl. But your great, great, great, great grandparents were knocking boots to that sweet perfume.
579729
Why is American society so obsessed with sex and sexuality?
989351
**********************************************************************\n\nDon't feel bad. Nobody explained it to me, either, and I must say I made quite an impression that first night with the honey and feathers. But now I'm hip. The significance of the birds and bees isn't what they do, it's simply that they do it, "it," naturally, being a tussle in the tumbleweeds, or wherever it is that the lower orders engage in sex. As such it's the perfect euphemism for a culture so prudish that even publishers of girlie magazines used to airbrush out the pubic hair.\n\nWhere exactly "the birds and the bees" originated nobody knows, but word sleuths William and Mary Morris hint that it may have been inspired by words like these from the poet Samuel Coleridge: "All nature seems at work ... The bees are stirring--birds are on the wing ... and I the while, the sole unbusy thing, not honey make, nor pair, nor build, nor sing." Making honey, pairing ... yes, we can definitely tell what Sam had on his mind.\n\nThe Morrises offer the theory that schools in years past taught about sex by "telling how birds do it and how bees do it and trusting that the youngsters would get the message by indirection." Right. Luckily for the perpetuation of the species, there's always been Louie in the schoolyard to explain how things really worked.\n\n*********************************************************************
270213
it is a demeaning form of sex
1096737
These are the standard bases when adolescent  boys brag (or lie) about their sexual conquests. Gentleman don't discuss it. Like all slang, there are variations between high schools.\n\nGetting to first base is kissing.\nSecond base is fondling the lady's breasts.\nThird base is fondling her crotch.\nNo one says "Home run". They call it  "going all the way" or "scoring", terms you often hear in radio broadcasts of baseball games. It is intercourse.
795228
That doesn't sound right, if they're talking about critters that have sexual intercourse at all (as opposed to procreating other ways).\n\nI would think that most females have, as males aren't all that choosy about where they donate their sperm.\n\nToo bad you don't say where you got this. I mean, besides "the net" -- oh, THERE, that tiny place.\n\n;-)\n\nUnless it's more a comment on life expectancy, saying that most critters die before they have a chance to, well, you know.\n\nSo, where'd you come across this tidbit, what animals are included in the statistic, and why would this be?\n\n(I'll check back in hopes you respond.)\n\nEdit: You may (if you're interested enough) want to troll around newscientist.com and similar sites. New Scientist is the UK's version of Scientific American -- the site has science news, and search facility (though you have to pay to access everything, they do have a lot available for non-subscribers).\n\nI may give it a go next time I'm there.\n\nTrouble is, coming from a non-expert (that is, a psychologist), I wonder if this is one of those non-facts that gets picked up and repeated and is completely wrong.\n\nThough, if you include all animals, including insects, then maybe. Relatively few bees and ants, for example, have sex, and they'd account for a big proportion of "all animals."\n\nIn which case it's completely irrelevant to a discussion of human sexuality.
290518
HAVE YOU HEARD OF THE BIRDS AND THE BEES FOOL????
381749
sex is supposed to be for having children.  but all the noises and stuff is to let your partner know you are enjoying your self
159913
How about PEOPLE empowerment?  Why have a stupid sex war.  It is high time both sexes live together in harmony.
62526
around the 1830's because in theater the gesture was the same as "hissing" an actor- they would either hiss or "flip the bird" - now people just boo basically but in between then and now people used to boo and hiss.  The hissing sound was related to the hissing sound of geese, and thats how the term "flipping the bird" came to be.  Now we just call the middle finger the "bird" because it is the finger used when we "flip the bird"
475035
they lay eggs in clusters! many of them. and yes..they do have some sort of sex but not the version that you have in your mind.
933455
Because it wants to have sex.
186260
I think men use the term nutting in reference to their scrotums.  My husband sometimes says he got a nut and I respond with you are a nut.  It means the same thing but makes it sound so cheap and impersonal.
49383
TV shows are often about or based on real life situations. Since sex is a big part of most peoples lives it would be almost impossible to have a show without some sex in it.
562032
Actually buggery refers to sex with animals (sheep usually) not with young boys. In Australia and Britain it's a generic curse directed at someone (you little bugger) or just at life in general (bugger). However in Australian culture "you little bugger" can also be intended as a compliment depending on the way in which it is said. Amongst Kiwis it is not as socially acceptable a term as there is a bit of the literal use of the term going on.\nBloody can be used either way as well. Bloody marvellous vs you bloody mongrel, for instance. It's just a term used for emphasis.