# This one's for Paul in Qatar \[cursing parrot at wildlife sanctuary\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 3, 2009, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-ones-for-paul-in-qatar-cursing-parrot-at-wildlife-sanctuary/498577 "2009-06-03T14:22:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-ones-for-paul-in-qatar-cursing-parrot-at-wildlife-sanctuary/498577/1 "2009-06-03T14:22:55Z")
A parrot with a fine line in invective. Story [here](http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2005/jul/27/martinwainwright). For me it’s not what the parrot says but the way it’s intelligently stringing it all together. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-ones-for-paul-in-qatar-cursing-parrot-at-wildlife-sanctuary/498577/2 "2009-06-03T15:16:52Z")
Thank you very much. People think it is cute to teach a bird foul language, but it is really a bit cruel. Thank you for posting this. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-ones-for-paul-in-qatar-cursing-parrot-at-wildlife-sanctuary/498577/3 "2009-06-03T15:28:55Z")
It may be cruel, but it’s definitely a funny story. Mod note: I’ve edited the thread title to make the subject clearer. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-ones-for-paul-in-qatar-cursing-parrot-at-wildlife-sanctuary/498577/4 "2009-06-03T16:08:10Z")
> [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](#): > > Thank you very much. People think it is cute to teach a bird foul language, but it is really a bit cruel. I’m curious. Would you please explain why you consider it cruel? ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-ones-for-paul-in-qatar-cursing-parrot-at-wildlife-sanctuary/498577/5 "2009-06-03T16:23:14Z")
I am a bit distracted and am not writing well at the moment. (I wanted to make the obvious ‘fowel’ pun for example.) There is a real problem with parrots that cannot find homes after their owners die or simply tire of their pets. A bird that curses is simply more difficult to place. My post did not accurately balance my sense of amusement and that of “here we go again.” Sorry to be a stick in the mud. I am not quite myself this evening. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-ones-for-paul-in-qatar-cursing-parrot-at-wildlife-sanctuary/498577/6 "2009-06-03T16:23:55Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > I’m curious. Would you please explain why you consider it cruel? My WAG is that the parrot seems to enjoy human company (and pet birds frankly require a lot of attention to be happy), but due to the cursing he’s been moved away from the visitors to avoid scandalizing anyone. It sounds like he gets to hang out with a keeper at night, but he would probably prefer being able to see more people during the course of the day. Edit - Simulpost! Sounds like I was still kind of on track, though. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-ones-for-paul-in-qatar-cursing-parrot-at-wildlife-sanctuary/498577/7 "2009-06-03T16:26:22Z")
Is anyone really scandalized by a parrot saying that, though? He’s only been trained to; it’s not like there’s any real meaning behind what he says. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-ones-for-paul-in-qatar-cursing-parrot-at-wildlife-sanctuary/498577/8 "2009-06-03T16:51:32Z")
Cool, thanks. Hadn’t thought of when a bird needed a new owner. ---
**Author:** ![Daithi\_Lacha](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daithi_lacha/32/5430_2.png) [@Daithi\_Lacha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daithi_Lacha)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-ones-for-paul-in-qatar-cursing-parrot-at-wildlife-sanctuary/498577/9 "2009-06-03T17:19:53Z")
What the hell is wrong with you people? Is\* no-one\* laughing at Mr. Grewcock’s name? ---
**Author:** ![Encinitas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Encinitas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Encinitas)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-ones-for-paul-in-qatar-cursing-parrot-at-wildlife-sanctuary/498577/10 "2009-06-03T18:17:02Z")
> [@Daithi\_Lacha](#): > > What the hell is wrong with you people? Is\* no-one\* laughing at Mr. Grewcock’s name? Wanker! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Mondegreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/91b2a8/32.png) [@Lord\_Mondegreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Mondegreen)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-ones-for-paul-in-qatar-cursing-parrot-at-wildlife-sanctuary/498577/11 "2009-06-04T04:55:04Z")
> [@Daithi\_Lacha](#): > > What the hell is wrong with you people? Is\* no-one\* laughing at Mr. Grewcock’s name? \ Mainly laughing at the swearing parrot/Mr Grewcock combination. If the bird actually understood what he was saying he could have a field day with that one. ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-ones-for-paul-in-qatar-cursing-parrot-at-wildlife-sanctuary/498577/12 "2009-06-04T19:13:01Z")
I’m really very lucky that my parrot is a teeny one from a species that isn’t known for learning to talk. (Lovebird.) She IS learning to talk, though, but not profanity, just the sweet things that I say to her all the time, like “I love you” and even if she picked up the, er, saltier vocabulary my husband and I use, her speech is not terribly clear and it’s likely no one but us would know what she’s saying!