Language & Animals: Parrots

A parrot is any of a large group of usually tropical birds that have a curved beak and usually brightly coloured feathers. Some of these birds can be taught to copy human speech. They are sometimes taken to other countries and kept as pets.
Polly is a traditional name for a parrot and parrots are often taught to say “pretty Polly”. In stories, pirates often have a parrtot which sits on their shoulder and says “pieces of eight” (= old valuable coins).
A parrot is also a person who copies, often without understanding, the words or actions of another.
Parrot fashion means by continuous repeating, but without real understanding
The children learnt the poem parrot fashion.
If someone's sick as a parrot about something, they are unhappy, disappointed or depressed about it.
The Dead Parrot sketch, known as the Pet Shop sketch or Parrot Sketch, is a popular sketch from Monty Python's Flying Circus, and one of the most famous in the history of British television comedy. The sketch portrays a conflict between disgruntled customer Mr Praline and a shopkeeper, who hold contradictory positions on the vital state of a "Norwegian Blue" parrot.
Psittacosis is a bacterial disease that can be caught from birds such as parrots, pigeons, and parakeets (= a small slender long-tailed parrot). The disease is not common, with only 50 reported cases in the United States each year.
Psittacosis usually gives flu-like symptoms, such as fevers, chills, headaches, muscle aches, and a dry cough. The disease can also look like pneumonia on an x-ray. In rare cases, Psittacosis can cause endocarditis - swelling of joints, and swelling of the cornea.
Psittacosis can be easily treated with antibiotics, especially with Tetracycline. The disease rarely kills people, with only 1% of those who get the disease dying.