The cormorant (Phalacrocorax) so named from the Latin meaning sea-crow, is a genus of birds of the Pelican (Pelicaniformes) family or sometimes forming a family by themselves. They have a longish and strongly-hooked bill, long neck, short wings, and rather long rounded tail; all the toes are united by a web, and, though excellent swimmers, they are able to perch on trees. Their colour is generally black or dark. The common cormorant of Europe (Phalacrocorax carto) is larger than a goose, but with smaller wings. It occupies cliffs by the sea, feeds on fish, and is extremely voracious. It dives and swims with great power, and pursues its prey beneath the surface of the water, often to a great depth. Amongst the Chinese cormorants have long been trained to fish for man. At first a ring is placed on the lower part of the bird's neck to prevent it swallowing the prey, and in time it learns to deliver the fish to its master without such a precaution being necessary. Another British cormorant is the green cormorant or shag (Phalacrocorax graculus). It is smaller than the common cormorant. Both these species are found also on the eastern coasts of America, and there are various other American as well as Australian species. Research Cormorant
Hickory is several species of timber trees of the genusCarya of the family Juglandeae. They are natives to North America. The wood is heavy, strong and tenacious and was used for making carriage-shafts, screws, whip-handles, cogged wheels, etc. The shag-bark (Caryaalba) yields the hickory-nut of commerce, and its wood is very valuable. Carya olivoeformis yields the pecan-nut. The pig-nut or brown hickory is the Carya glabra, and the swamp hickory is Caryaamara, so called from the bitterness of its nut. Research Hickory
The Shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis) is a British sea bird, superficially similar to the cormorant, but smaller and with a green, oily sheen visible at close range in good light. Shags are to be found on rocky coastlines and diving into the sea, no matter how rough it is. Research Shag
The shag or rooster cut, is a hair style popularised by Rod Stewart, and involving dishevelled short spiky tufts on top, with shoulder-length strands down the back. Research Shag
A shag band is a slender, flexible plastic ring, typically about the diameter of a pencil lead, worn as a tight fitting bracelet by older teenagers. Shag bands are of various colours, each with a forfeiture associated with each colour, a person snapping or breaking a wearer's shag band being required to perform a forfeit of a sexual nature on the wearer depending upon the colour and ranging from kissing through performing oral sex to full sexual intercourse. Research Shag Band
Melvynn Bragg is British rhyming slang for cigarette (fag). Melvyn Bragg is British rhyming slang for sexual intercourse (shag). Melvyn Bragg is British rhyming slang for a contemptible person (slag). Research Melvynn Bragg
Shag is slang for sexual intercourse.
Shag is Australian slang for abandoned and alone.
Shag was American slang for a boyfriend, girlfriend or escort. Research Shag
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Cormorant
