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Two budgies don't make a snowstorm

Posted by RRC on May 09, 2008 at 20:02

In Reply to: Two budgies don't make a snowstorm posted by R. Berg on May 09, 2008 at 16:47:

: : : : : : : What does "two budgies don't make a snowstorm" mean? Where does it come from? Has anyone heard this phrase before?

: : : : : : Well it's not from the U.S. We call them parakeets here.

: : : : : Never heard of it and I get zero Google hits for "two budgies" and either "snowstorm" or "snow storm" in the same sentence.

: : : : Two robins don't make a spring. Or something like that.

: : :
: : : If someone said it to me I would assume that it was an amusingly nonsensical way of saying "Something is being exaggerated" i.e. two mice don't make a plague or two raindrops don't make a rainstorm. I say nonsensical because budgies aren't white (they are very brightly coloured) so even a huge flock wouldn't (visually) resemble a snowstorm. As for the "two robins don't make a spring" link - the appearance of budgies doesn't foretell snow because they are native to areas where it is too hot for snow. BTW, we have parakeets in Australia as well as budgies. I checked this out and it turns out that a parakeet is just any small to medium sized species of parrot. So we just give the budgie a special name since they are so common, whereas the US people seem to lump them in with the bigger group. Pamela

: My guess on "Two budgies" is that it's a takeoff on "One swallow doesn't make a summer." Americans do use the word "budgie" as well as "parakeet." ~rb (U.S.)

I don't know any who do (besides the Anglo-philes that like to go on about how the bacon buttie in boot of their motor smells of petrol)( and people who are talking about the drummer from Siouxsie and the Banshees). IMO, most Americans aren't aware that there are any other kinds of parakeets and those that are usually are specific (e.g. ringnecked parakeet) when they don't mean Melopsittacus undulatus.

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