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Meaning of "the birds and the bees" in the English dictionary

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PRONUNCIATION OF THE BIRDS AND THE BEES

the birds and the bees play
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WHAT DOES THE BIRDS AND THE BEES MEAN IN ENGLISH?

The birds and the bees

"The birds and the bees" is an English-language idiomatic expression and euphemism that refers to courtship and sexual intercourse. The "birds and the bees talk" is generally the event in most children's lives in which they learn the truth about "where babies come from." The phrase is evocative of the metaphors and euphemisms often used to avoid speaking openly and technically about the subject. According to tradition, the birds and the bees is a metaphorical story sometimes told to children in an attempt to explain the mechanics and good consequences of sexual intercourse through reference to easily observed natural events. For instance, bees carry and deposit pollen into flowers, a visible and easy-to-explain example of male fertilisation. Another example, birds lay eggs, a similarly visible and easy-to-explain example of female ovulation.

WORDS THAT BEGIN LIKE THE BIRDS AND THE BEES

the better of
the better part of
the betting is
the beyond
the Bible
the Bible Belt
the Big Apple
the Big Five
the Big Smoke
the big time
the Bight
the birch
the bird has flown
the bitumen
the Black and Tans
the black art
the black belt
the Black Caps
the Black Country
the Black Death

WORDS THAT END LIKE THE BIRDS AND THE BEES

bee´s knees
board of trustees
by degrees
Caribbees
dungarees
Great Pyrenees
Kirklees
lees
legal fees
Maccabees
Pyrenees
school fees
see the wood for the trees
Stockton-on-Tees
Surtees
Tees
the bee´s knees
the Caribbees
tuition fees
university fees

Synonyms and antonyms of the birds and the bees in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS

Translation of «the birds and the bees» into 25 languages

TRANSLATOR
online translator

TRANSLATION OF THE BIRDS AND THE BEES

Find out the translation of the birds and the bees to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of the birds and the bees from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «the birds and the bees» in English.

Translator English - Chinese

鸟和蜜蜂
1,325 millions of speakers

Translator English - Spanish

los pájaros y las abejas
570 millions of speakers

English

the birds and the bees
510 millions of speakers

Translator English - Hindi

पक्षियों और मधुमक्खियों
380 millions of speakers
ar

Translator English - Arabic

الطيور و النحل
280 millions of speakers

Translator English - Russian

птицы и пчелы
278 millions of speakers

Translator English - Portuguese

os pássaros e as abelhas
270 millions of speakers

Translator English - Bengali

পাখি এবং মৌমাছি
260 millions of speakers

Translator English - French

les oiseaux et les abeilles
220 millions of speakers

Translator English - Malay

Burung dan lebah
190 millions of speakers

Translator English - German

die Vögel und die Bienen
180 millions of speakers

Translator English - Japanese

鳥や蜂
130 millions of speakers

Translator English - Korean

새와 꿀벌
85 millions of speakers

Translator English - Javanese

Manuk lan tawon
85 millions of speakers
vi

Translator English - Vietnamese

các loài chim và những con ong
80 millions of speakers

Translator English - Tamil

பறவைகள் மற்றும் தேனீக்கள்
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Marathi

पक्षी आणि मधमाश्या
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Turkish

Kuşlar ve arılar
70 millions of speakers

Translator English - Italian

gli uccelli e le api
65 millions of speakers

Translator English - Polish

ptaki i pszczoły
50 millions of speakers

Translator English - Ukrainian

птиці і бджоли
40 millions of speakers

Translator English - Romanian

păsări și albine
30 millions of speakers
el

Translator English - Greek

τα πουλιά και οι μέλισσες
15 millions of speakers
af

Translator English - Afrikaans

die voëls en die bye
14 millions of speakers
sv

Translator English - Swedish

fåglarna och bina
10 millions of speakers
no

Translator English - Norwegian

fugler og bier
5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of the birds and the bees

TRENDS

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «THE BIRDS AND THE BEES»

The term «the birds and the bees» is very widely used and occupies the 13.972 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
0
100%
FREQUENCY
Very widely used
94
/100
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «the birds and the bees» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of the birds and the bees
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «the birds and the bees».

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «THE BIRDS AND THE BEES» OVER TIME

The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «the birds and the bees» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «the birds and the bees» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about the birds and the bees

EXAMPLES

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «THE BIRDS AND THE BEES»

Discover the use of the birds and the bees in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to the birds and the bees and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
The Birds, the Bees, and the Berenstain Bears
No, it's not that Mama is eating too much salmon and honey comb. Mama is going to have a baby! With a little help from Mama and Dr. Gert, Sister learns about the birds and the bees...and sonograms, too! From the Trade Paperback edition.
Stan Berenstain, Jan Berenstain, 2011
2
First Comes Love: All about the Birds and the Bees - And .
Answers questions about mating, birth, and child rearing in species such as the crabs, fireflies, peacocks, penguins, alligators, and humans.
Jennifer Davis, 2001
3
The Birds and the Bees
Plagued by strange encounters with black birds who seem to be stalking her, Gabrielle soon discovers that the birds are not the only creatures acting peculiar when her town is attacked by bees, wasps, and hornets--all of which wreak havoc ...
Sèphera Girón, 2002
4
Birds, Bees, Babies
No longer do you have to wonder whether a child is old enough to know the story you don't even know. Buy this book and know the real story!
J. L. Sweat, 2011
5
The Birds and the Bees
Epilogue. They married at the beginning of the next summer—a day full of balmy May sunshine. There were Scottish pipers and the bonny bride carried an armful of wild wooded bluebells and heather instead of a formal pink rose bouquet.
Milly Johnson, 2008
6
The Birds, the Bees and the Platypuses: Crazy, Sexy and
Things get more complicated when biologists start talking about the birds and the bees. In birds, you know, it's the other way round: females have a pair of different sex chromosomes, while males have a matched pair – and don't even think ...
Michael Gross, 2012
7
The Dawn of the Deed: The Prehistoric Origins of Sex
A paleontologist plunges into the fossil record in order to provide a provocative account of prehistoric sex.
John A. Long, 2012
8
Rationale of the Dirty Joke: An Analysis of Sexual Humor
“Well, Pop wants me to tell you that the birds and the bees do it too.” (N.Y. 1944.) A version collected the next year has The tough Marine telling Iunior, in a loud voice: “Lissen kid, when a man and a woman want a baby, they FUCK — just like  ...
G. Legman, 2007
9
Curious Folks Ask 2: Our Fellow Creatures, Our Planet, and ...
Hummingbirds did not show hawkmoths the same respect—the birds chased them away from flowers. The birds and the bees are not all about conflict. More than 100 species of birds, especially in the tropics, have been reported to build their ...
Sherry Seethaler, 2010
10
Darwin in Atlantic Cultures: Evolutionary Visions of Race, ...
Cole Porter, the American composer and lyricist, is credited with popularizing the phrase “the birds and the bees” to refer to sexual relations among men and women. In his 1928 hit song “Let's Do It, Let's Fall in Love,” Porter crooned, “And  ...
Jeannette Eileen Jones, Patrick B. Sharp, 2010

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «THE BIRDS AND THE BEES»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term the birds and the bees is used in the context of the following news items.
1
Birds and bees talk got your family buzzing? The 'Puberty Lady' is …
Sitting down to talk to your children about the birds and the bees can be tough. But registered nurse Julie Metzger is helping shape the conversation between ... «Today.com, Jul 15»
2
It's Time to Talk about the Birds and the Bees — and the Butterflies …
From birds and bees to butterflies, bats and beetles, pollinators are a diverse group and are critically important to terrestrial life on our planet. Without our help ... «USDA.gov, Jun 15»
3
Learning about the birds and the bees helps aid flight
Research into how birds and bees use vision in flight is guiding the design of future autopilots and unmanned aerial vehicles. «Phys.Org, Jun 15»
4
Beyond The Birds And The Bees: Surviving Sex Ed Today
But Bronx-based teacher Lena Solow is more than happy to talk about the birds, the bees ... and beyond. Solow has been teaching for 10 years. She covers the ... «NPR, Jun 15»
5
Parents And Kids Talk About The Birds And The Bees, And It's As …
The "birds and the bees" talk might not be the most fun conversation to have with a kid, but the results can be hilarious. Cut.com had five sets of parents sit down ... «Huffington Post, Jan 15»
6
Birds And The Bees: Parents Tell Their Kids Where Babies Come …
The birds and the bees, sex, how babies are made. No matter how you put it to your child, it's probably best to start that conversation with what one parent says ... «Medical Daily, Jan 15»
7
The birds and the bees and the N.J. Legislature: The Auditor
The state Senate today passed a measure that's for the birds. ... Those pollinators include birds, bees, bats, butterflies, and really anything that pollinates. «NJ.com, Dec 14»
8
Terence Corcoran: Ontario bans e-smoking by honeybees
A press release Tuesday from two members of Premier Katheleen Wynne's social activist cabinet opened with nature calls about the birds and the bees that will ... «Financial Post, Nov 14»
9
Here's How Muhammad Ali Explained The Birds And The Bees To …
May May's tale is a quick one, but the conversation she relates about the birds-and-bees talk her dad gave her when she was barely a teenager is oh-so typically ... «Business Insider Australia, Nov 14»
10
The birds and the bees (and the chemicals)
Last year, my husband's honeybees – the ones he keeps with friends of his – ran into trouble. Only one hive survived the winter. The Bee Boyz, as they call ... «The Globe and Mail, Jul 14»

REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. The birds and the bees [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/the-birds-and-the-bees>. Apr 2024 ».
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