LadyButterfly she/her@piefed.blahaj.zone to memes@lemmy.worldEnglish · 2 months agoTotallypiefed.cdn.blahaj.zoneimagemessage-square12fedilinkarrow-up1331arrow-down112
arrow-up1319arrow-down1imageTotallypiefed.cdn.blahaj.zoneLadyButterfly she/her@piefed.blahaj.zone to memes@lemmy.worldEnglish · 2 months agomessage-square12fedilink
minus-squareTheLeadenSea@sh.itjust.workslinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up1arrow-down17·edit-22 months ago Those are very small percentages. Maybe it is a phrase some people use, I’ll accept that, but it is not common. Compare with an actually common expression
minus-squareFiskFisk33@startrek.websitelinkfedilinkarrow-up30·edit-22 months agoYou are literally showing it’s half as common as “free as a bird”, a VERY common phrase. That only proves it’s common!
minus-squareFooBarrington@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkarrow-up22·2 months agoMost phrases have very small percentages, as they are measured against all other combinations of words in literature. Since it’s an informal idiom, it’s also much more common in spoken than in written language.
minus-squareTheLeadenSea@sh.itjust.workslinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up1arrow-down14·2 months agoEven with those small percentages, ‘free as a bird’ was twice as common.
minus-squareFooBarrington@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkarrow-up17arrow-down1·2 months agoAgain, “happy as a clam” is very informal. “Free as a bird” is much less so, so it makes sense it pops up more often in literature.
minus-squareCapt. Wolf@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkarrow-up6·2 months agoIt’s also been used much longer. First known use of “happy as as a clam” was 1833 versus “free as a bird” being used in the 17th century.
Those are very small percentages. Maybe it is a phrase some people use, I’ll accept that, but it is not common.
Compare with an actually common expression
You are literally showing it’s half as common as “free as a bird”, a VERY common phrase.
That only proves it’s common!
Most phrases have very small percentages, as they are measured against all other combinations of words in literature.
Since it’s an informal idiom, it’s also much more common in spoken than in written language.
Even with those small percentages, ‘free as a bird’ was twice as common.
Again, “happy as a clam” is very informal. “Free as a bird” is much less so, so it makes sense it pops up more often in literature.
It’s also been used much longer. First known use of “happy as as a clam” was 1833 versus “free as a bird” being used in the 17th century.