Natalie Cranberry’s Reviews > Cows on Ice and Owls in the Bog: The Weird and Wonderful World of Scandinavian Sayings > Status Update

It should be no surprise that a person who has a fox behind his ear is keeping something to himself. The expression has origins in the Middle Ages, when many believe that people whose ears stuck out were suspicious and not to be trusted.

(I would be so screwed.)

Crows are not known for being beautiful singers, but at least with these sinister-looking birds, what you hear is very much what you get. Their loud, harsh caws are expressed earnestly and without embellishment. This saying is an encouragement that we should not feel ashamed of a lack of talent or bad performance—that it’s okay to try your best and be yourself.

Throughout human history, owls have been symbols of spirituality, wisdom, and intelligence. … So, you may wonder, how on earth did our feathered friends end up in a Danish bog? ‘Owls in the bog’ means that there is something suspicious going on.