Spring: ‘Birds and bees’ not new phrase
Spring has sprung, birds have begun singing praises, and the snow has started to melt.
Although it has been possible to see snowflakes falling in May, the blossoming of flowers and love may have already started.
Although Herb Newman’s rendition of “The Birds and the Bees” debuted in 1964, it was not the first mention of the flying friends.
The phrase was used in an earlier song by Cole Porter, according to Michael Quinion of Wordlwidewords.com.
Porter’s 1928 hit “Let’s Do It” contained the lyrics, “Birds do it; bees do it; even educated fleas do it. Let’s do it; let’s fall in love.”
Quinion is a writer and has provided entries for the second edition of the “Oxford Dictionary of New Words.”
Many times the phrase “the birds and the bees” has given the public ideas to explain the concept of sex. The phrase was used to explain sex and reproduction to younger children, Quinion said. The etymology of the word is limited, though, Quinion said.
“ You might be astonished how few reference books even mention this phrase,” Quinion said. “My impression is that it’s relatively modern.”
Sex and young people has been a hot topic for many years, yet recently, new parents have questioned the proper way to explain “the birds and the bees” talk to their children.
Marie Hartwell-Walker rarely discussed sex with her parents and the emotions that occur for young men and women.
Hartwell-Walker, a licensed psychologist and marriage and family therapist, said she learned about “the mechanics of making and having babies” from a movie at school.
Hartwell-Walker explains in her article “The Birds and the Bees: Talking to Young Teens about Sex” that it’s important for parents to talk to their children about safety, consent and decision-making.
“ Now that we have adolescents of our own, most of the parents I know are trying to do things a little better,” she said. “We want our children to be comfortable with themselves as emerging sexual beings.
“ The most important parts of your conversation is about how to decide when and with whom to have what kind of sexual experience,” Hartwell-Walker said.
Betsy Birmingham, an assistant professor in the English department, remembers first hearing the phrase when she was a little girl. She said she remembers dancing while her record player played the Herb Newman song “The Birds and the Bees.”
Birmingham said although she has no clear facts on the subject, she thinks the phrase could be as old as the early 1900s.
“ It seems like it has been around for a long time,” she said.
The phrase is not a modern way to explain reproduction and sex to young children, Birmingham said.
Instead the phrase seems to only be used among the older generation.
Talking about the birds and the bees is now just a common euphemism for the public, she said.