I mean why not a worm and the ground? Or a plethora of of other anologies?

  • Fondots@lemmy.world
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    20 hours ago

    It’s probably not the origin of the phrase, but I remember seeing some sitcom where a father sat his daughter’s boyfriend down to give him the “the birds and the bees” talk

    The boyfriend said something like “no thanks, I already heard it from my parents”

    And the father replied along the lines of “not my version you haven’t, you see, when the bee stings the bird, the bee dies”

    Not-so-subtly threatening the boyfriend.

    In my head it’s Red Foreman giving that talk, but I’m not 100% on that.

    • ripcord@lemmy.world
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      16 hours ago

      It’s not the origin of the phrase, since it dates back to at least 100 years before television

        • AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world
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          8 hours ago

          They used to have specially trained children give the show in little boxes in people’s homes. It was either that or the mines, so it was a very sought after occupation.

        • ripcord@lemmy.world
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          13 hours ago

          On the way across the great plains, families traveling the Oregon trail would sit around the campfire imagining what Leave It To Beaver would be like one day

          landed families in the 1500s would invite company over to watch the servants act out the episode where the earl of leicester accidentally makes dates with two women he is courting at the same time and has to be in both places at once

          • Geobloke@aussie.zone
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            13 hours ago

            Ahhhh, so that’s where canned laughter came from, I guess they probably had to use salted laughter before cans were invented

      • YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.today
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        16 hours ago

        I am not trying to be rude, but did you read the literal first thing they typed? I’m fairly certain they are aware that a sitcom from the early aughts, focusing on an era from 20+years earlier, on popular television, was addressing something that was relatable to people from way before the show was even about?

        I’m genuinely sorry, cause it does sound rude.

      • Fondots@lemmy.world
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        16 hours ago

        True, but fathers have been threatening their daughters’ suitors since time immemorial.

        I wouldn’t be at all surprised to learn that it’s been used in a similar way for nearly as long as we’ve been using “the birds and the bees” as a euphemism.