Alas

Is that a magpie in the sky?

Pigeons are definitely not alas. They have nothing to do with alas and they have nothing to do with hooray (not even when you tie red, white, and blue ribbons on them and let them loose at band concerts); they have nothing to do with mercy me or isn't that fine, either.

—James Thurber, "There's an Owl in My Room," New Yorker, 11.17.34, via Noisy=Restful

Comments

[Maury D'Annato]

We used to like to say to one another,in high school, "if they were not pigeons on the grass, alas, what were they?" Nuh-uh, I wasn't real popular in high school, why do you ask?

[patrick]

Which Is a Fact! (Drumroll!)