# sorry for asking this but i have to know **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 18, 2003, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-for-asking-this-but-i-have-to-know/155865 "2003-02-18T12:56:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rattman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/91b2a8/32.png) [@Rattman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rattman)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-for-asking-this-but-i-have-to-know/155865/1 "2003-02-18T12:56:30Z")
What is the air speed velosity of an unladen swallow? afican and european i MUST know ---
**Author:** ![Andy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aeb1de/32.png) [@Andy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-for-asking-this-but-i-have-to-know/155865/2 "2003-02-18T13:09:43Z")
If you said to me ‘I MUST know the time’ I’d tell you to go and busy yourself with your genitals. If you asked nicely I’d happily try to find out. ---
**Author:** ![a\_gherkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f6c823/32.png) [@a\_gherkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a_gherkin)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-for-asking-this-but-i-have-to-know/155865/3 "2003-02-18T13:10:52Z")
??? ---
**Author:** ![istara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e79b87/32.png) [@istara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/istara)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-for-asking-this-but-i-have-to-know/155865/4 "2003-02-18T13:16:21Z")
Sorry for asking this but _ **I** _ have to know… …why the urgency?! Sadly IANAOrnithologist, so can’t help. But your thread title really intrigued me. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-for-asking-this-but-i-have-to-know/155865/5 "2003-02-18T13:16:33Z")
Between 40 and 50mph ---
**Author:** ![Rattman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/91b2a8/32.png) [@Rattman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rattman)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-for-asking-this-but-i-have-to-know/155865/6 "2003-02-18T13:27:26Z")
To andy : i was not rude i just made it clear i have a great need for the answer and if some one said to me “i MUST know the time” i would tell them because they seem to have a great need for the time so it would be quite important to them To a\_gherkin: well done To istara: what urgency? I do have to know but no where did i say i need to know now to Mangetout: thank you, but is that not the average speed? i thought velosity was measured in knots? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-for-asking-this-but-i-have-to-know/155865/7 "2003-02-18T13:27:59Z")
Laden or Bin Laden? ---
**Author:** ![Rattman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/91b2a8/32.png) [@Rattman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rattman)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-for-asking-this-but-i-have-to-know/155865/8 "2003-02-18T13:32:27Z")
jjimm that actuly made me smile ---
**Author:** ![istara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e79b87/32.png) [@istara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/istara)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-for-asking-this-but-i-have-to-know/155865/9 "2003-02-18T13:47:44Z")
**Rattman** - ah, ok, a burning need, not a timed need! I understand. I just wish I could help. If it was the name of an actor who starred in an obscure Star Trek episode, you would probably wake up at 3am with the name on your lips. The chances of latent bird speed knowledge seem less. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-for-asking-this-but-i-have-to-know/155865/10 "2003-02-18T13:51:11Z")
Between 34 and 43 knots then :rolleyes: Velocity can be measured in anything you fancy; most commonly it would be metres per second, but you could have yards per minute, furlongs per fortnight, cubits per decade; whatever; they are all linear scales and are all directly inter-convertible. ---
**Author:** ![axi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f08c70/32.png) [@axi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/axi)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-for-asking-this-but-i-have-to-know/155865/11 "2003-02-18T14:23:25Z")
Do you have to cross a bridge or something? Remember, you have to keep asking the questions and never say “I don’t know”… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Rattman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/91b2a8/32.png) [@Rattman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rattman)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-for-asking-this-but-i-have-to-know/155865/12 "2003-02-18T14:46:47Z")
34 to 43, is that an african or european swallow? ---
**Author:** ![Andy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aeb1de/32.png) [@Andy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-for-asking-this-but-i-have-to-know/155865/13 "2003-02-18T15:06:06Z")
Yes. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2003, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-for-asking-this-but-i-have-to-know/155865/14 "2003-02-18T15:10:28Z")
> [@](#): > > **is that an african or european swallow?** I wish I could summon the enthusiasm to go looking for you, but I fear you’d only come back with a question about laden and unladen weights, but hey, the Internet is now available to all; my recommendation for you is to try [this](http://www.google.com) search engine - try searching on the terms _ **swallow** _ and either _ **velocity** _ or _ **speed** _ Another tip is to add the terms _ **-python** _ and _ **-laden** _ and possibly _ **-"really funny"** _ - this will eliminate a good deal of the hits based on the endless puerile repetition of what was once a stunningly original piece of comedy.