# PC strikes Happy Drinking Bird **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 22, 2006, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-strikes-happy-drinking-bird/357769 "2006-05-22T16:14:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2006, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-strikes-happy-drinking-bird/357769/1 "2006-05-22T16:14:29Z")
As I strolled through one of our local general stores, I noticed with a happy smile a Happy Drinking Bird, and remembered with fondness my Mom’s eerily accurate impersonation of what she calls a goony bird. I would say it was closest to the “Classic Happy Drinking Bird” [here](http://www.backstreet.demon.co.uk/oddstuff/drinkingbirds/drinkingbirds.htm). But amidst the amusingly translated instructions on this Taiwanese version, instead of the classic slogan “Once he starts Drinking he won’t stop”, it said “Once he/she starts Drinking he/she won’t stop”. (true colors) :eek: Maybe it’s time to switch to “it”. The link above also substantiates the move toward interspecies drinking animals with that giraffe. I’m also disappointed to learn that I missed out on the chance to [Vote for the Happy Drinking Bird](http://www.disconnect.net/underground/volume2/bird03.html) in 2000. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2006, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-strikes-happy-drinking-bird/357769/2 "2006-05-22T18:34:59Z")
It could be worse. They could’ve stopped making them altogether, saying it was inappropriate to have a toy that represented a creature with a Substance Abuse Problem… ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2006, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-strikes-happy-drinking-bird/357769/3 "2006-05-22T19:51:59Z")
Oh, good point. Even if it’s only water, ever since the eight-glasses-a-day debunking, he/she/it should really be cutting back. ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2006, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-strikes-happy-drinking-bird/357769/4 "2006-05-22T20:16:19Z")
My first memory of this critter features the version that was for sale at a Days Inn Tasty World restaurant-cum-gift shop in the 1970’s. This particular model was known as the Boozer Bird, and the packaging featured the slogan “Can’t Stop Drinking!” The fluid imbibed was, however, presumably water, as opposed to anything alcoholic. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2006, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-strikes-happy-drinking-bird/357769/5 "2006-05-22T21:08:38Z")
Many of these birds, however, are made dressed in a “tuxedo” with fake top hat and crosses for eyes, which implies that they’re alcoholics. Of course, others just look like a goofy bird. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2006, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-strikes-happy-drinking-bird/357769/6 "2006-05-22T21:56:49Z")
Hmmm. The only one similar in the link above is “Dry Dan”: top hat, check; tails, check; bright-eyed, wait-a-minute! He/she **has** been cleaned up. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2006, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-strikes-happy-drinking-bird/357769/7 "2006-05-23T01:35:56Z")
> [@Sternvogel](#): > > My first memory of this critter features the version that was for sale at a Days Inn Tasty World **restaurant-cum-gift shop** in the 1970’s. This particular model was known as the Boozer Bird, and the packaging featured the slogan “Can’t Stop Drinking!” The fluid imbibed was, however, presumably water, as opposed to anything alcoholic. Er … what kind of gift shop? I, too, thought the PC-ness of this would have something to do with what the bird was actually drinking. But who’s really going to waste perfectly good booze on a fake bird? ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2006, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-strikes-happy-drinking-bird/357769/8 "2006-05-23T01:50:47Z")
> [@Wile E](#): > > Er … what kind of gift shop? [It’s a preposition.](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=cum) ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2006, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-strikes-happy-drinking-bird/357769/9 "2006-05-23T01:56:19Z")
Apropos of nothing in particular, we always called those things “dunky birds.” ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2006, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-strikes-happy-drinking-bird/357769/10 "2006-05-23T02:14:06Z")
“Stupid bird! I should have never left you in charge!” [/obligatory Simpsons quote] ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2006, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-strikes-happy-drinking-bird/357769/11 "2006-05-23T02:40:59Z")
> [@Rysto](#): > > [It’s a preposition.](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=cum) Yes, I know. I was attempting a form of humor. The operative word being “attempting”. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2006, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-strikes-happy-drinking-bird/357769/12 "2006-05-23T12:59:20Z")
Maybe instead of he/she, there should be anatomically-correct dinky/dunky/goony birds? Of course, what would _that_ look like?? 😕 :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2006, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-strikes-happy-drinking-bird/357769/13 "2006-05-23T15:22:20Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > Maybe instead of he/she, there should be anatomically-correct dinky/dunky/goony birds? Of course, what would _that_ look like?? 😕 :eek: Since most birds don’t have external genitalia, like not much. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2006, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-strikes-happy-drinking-bird/357769/14 "2006-05-23T17:17:58Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Since most birds don’t have external genitalia, like not much. Drat. Maybe drabber coloring for the females. Or a peacock tail that unfurls as the male dunks.