The crow flies at midnight

Factual Questions
1

As a pretty common gest, I dropped a phrase in an email to my boss the other day (“The Crow Flies at Midnight”), as he had asked if it was some sort of conspiracy that the software he was using kept quitting on him.

We had a laugh over it, but then he returned “Hey, from where does that saying originate?”

My best Google-Fu could not answer his question. My guess is that it is a literary reference, potentially in a pulp espionage series, or from something more classic (like Sherlock Holmes, or some such).

Web searches are stymied, as everyone appears to have my sense of wit, and includes the phrase in one derivation or another in their signature, embedded in legal disclaimers, or seemingly randomly as test subjects or test content messages on blank pages.

I’ve submitted this to Cecil’s mailbag, but that was nearly 3 weeks ago. I’m putting it before you, TM – do you know why the crow flies, and why at midnight?

2

I wonder if it is derived from “The Rooster Crowed at Midnight,” which was a mystery book that appeared on a MASH episode that had the last chapter missing.

3

“There’s the rub.”

“Cool beans!”

4

Oops my apologies, I meant to post the above in another thread.

5

I’ve always heard it as “The dog barks at midnight”, a Google search of which kicks up three pages of unhelpful links.

6

I think it’s a corruption of Hegel: “When philosophy paints its grey things grey, it is a form of life already grown old, and can no longer be rejuvenated but only known; the owl of Minerva only flies out as twilight sets in.”

7

“The Knight Strikes at Midnight”

Trinopus

8

The fox is in the henhouse. Repeat, the fox is in the henhouse.

9

my new favorite term!