# The crow flies at midnight **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 31, 2003, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crow-flies-at-midnight/151949 "2003-01-31T20:36:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tvalley000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47c2d/32.png) [@tvalley000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tvalley000)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crow-flies-at-midnight/151949/1 "2003-01-31T20:36:33Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![Bravic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba8739/32.png) [@Bravic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bravic)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crow-flies-at-midnight/151949/2 "2003-01-31T23:26:03Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![AbbySthrnAccent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@AbbySthrnAccent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AbbySthrnAccent)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crow-flies-at-midnight/151949/3 "2003-01-31T23:28:33Z")
“There’s the rub.” “Cool beans!” ---
**Author:** ![AbbySthrnAccent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@AbbySthrnAccent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AbbySthrnAccent)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crow-flies-at-midnight/151949/4 "2003-01-31T23:29:52Z")
Oops my apologies, I meant to post the above in another thread. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crow-flies-at-midnight/151949/5 "2003-01-31T23:44:15Z")
I’ve always heard it as “The dog barks at midnight”, a Google search of which kicks up three pages of unhelpful links. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crow-flies-at-midnight/151949/6 "2003-01-31T23:45:07Z")
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.” ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crow-flies-at-midnight/151949/7 "2003-01-31T23:56:06Z")
“The Knight Strikes at Midnight” Trinopus ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crow-flies-at-midnight/151949/8 "2003-01-31T23:59:27Z")
The fox is in the henhouse. Repeat, the fox is in the henhouse. ---
**Author:** ![Bob55](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Bob55](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bob55)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-crow-flies-at-midnight/151949/9 "2003-02-01T06:09:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tvalley000 \* > **Google-Fu** my new favorite term!