Hoopoe Heads - 12 Jan. 2009

Listen: Can you guess what this is?<br/><br/>'Huup huup huup . . . huup huup huup . . . huup huup huup.'<br/><br/>No, it's not Morse code. Not a baby chimp. It's the sound of the hoopoe.<br/><br/>Funny-looking bird, the hoopoe. It has a pink head, zebra-striped wings, and what looks like a great party hat of pink feathers tipped in black and white.<br/><br/>The hoopoe's flight is somewhat erratic, more like a butterfly than a bird. One other odd thing about hoopoes: their nests are extremely stinky. Hoopoes line their nests with their own droppings, all the better to keep predators away.<br/><br/>Even the bird's name looks weird: It's spelled h-o-o-p-o-e.<br/><br/>The hoopoe is found in much of Europe, Africa, and Asia. In many cultures, this bird is highly regarded. The Biblical King Solomon is said to have taken advice from a hoopoe. In fact, just last year Israelis voted the hoopoe their country's national bird.<br/><br/>In other cultures, though, the hoopoe isn't so well-regarded. In Greek myth, this otherworldly bird was a symbol of death. And in France, the hoopoe has long been considered stupid. Maybe that's because of its colorful, clownish appearance, although I'm sure the nest thing didn't help.<br/><br/>So, why am I telling you all this?<br/><br/>In ancient Rome, this bird that went 'huup huup huup' was called the upupa. Logical enough.<br/><br/>In Middle French, this name evolved into something that sounded more like uppe. It's likely that from this word for the bird arose the modern French 'dupe,' a shortening of 'tete d'uppe' or 'hoopoe head.' In French, a 'dupe' is a 'fool or simpleton.'<br/><br/>As you may have guessed, it's this French word dupe from which we get the English word 'dupe' â someone who's been played for a fool.<br/><br/>We're hearing this word more and more, as the sordid details of Wall Street scandals emerge. And each time I come across that word 'dupe,' I can't help but hear the distant call of the hoopoe.<br/><br/>--<br/><br/>Get your language question answered on the air! Call