As the crow flies

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Corvus corone in flight

"As the crow flies" is an idiom referencing the shortest route between two points.

An example is a measure of the distance between Key West and Pensacola, at the two opposite ends of the U.S. state Florida where the most direct route by road is approximately 792 mi (1,275 km) and the direct point-to-point aerial path that might be taken by a crow is 524 mi (843 km).[1]

The phrase is attested in print as early as 1800, and its origin is often attributed to Waynesboro, Pennsylvania.[2]

[edit] References

  1. ^ "How Far Is It". indo.com. 2006. http://www.indo.com/cgi-bin/dist?place1=key+west%2Cfl&place2=pensacola%2C+fl. Retrieved 2008-02-12. 
  2. ^ Douglas Harper (2001). "Crow (n.)". Crow (n.). http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=As+the+crow+flies. Retrieved 2008-02-12. 

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