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Stone the crows" is a colloquial, old-fashioned exclamation used to express surprise, shock, dismay, or disbelief. Similar in meaning to "well, how about that!" or "you could have knocked me over with a feather," it is often used when reacting to an unexpected event or someone's foolish behavior.Usage and VariationsWhile it is an older idiom that isn't used as frequently in everyday conversation, it remains a recognized part of British and Australian slang.Variants: The phrase is often shortened to simply "stone me". You might also occasionally hear similar Australian expressions like "starve the crows" or "stiffen the crows," which carry the exact same meaning.Example: "Well, stone the crows—I didn't realize it was already midnight!"Origin and HistoryLanguage experts widely agree the phrase originated in Australia in the early 20th century before spreading to the UK.Literal Practice: The most likely origin stems from the old, prosaic practice of farmers physically throwing stones at crows to chase them away from crops.First Recorded Use: It first appeared in print in literature Down Under, such as in Lennie Lower’s 1930 book Here's Luck.Pop Culture: The phrase made its way into British popular culture in the 1960s, most notably through the legendary comedy writing duo Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, who frequently wrote the shortened "stone me" for the comedian Tony Hancock.For more background on vintage idioms and regional British/Commonwealth slang, check out the in-depth discussion on Wiktionary.Stone The Crows - Meaning & Origin Of The PhraseThe meaning of the phrase. An exclamation of incredulity or annoyance. What's the origin of the phrase 'Stone the crows'? There have been a few attempts to expl...Phrase FinderWhat is the etymology of “Stone the crows” (British exclamation ... - Quora* 'Stone the crows' is a common, archaic British idiom that survived into the 21st Century in places like Australia. Typically it's used to express your shock a...QuoraSTONE THE CROWS! | English meaning - Cambridge DictionarySTONE THE CROWS! | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary. English. Meaning of stone the crows! in English. stone the crows! idiom UK old-fashioned (also stone ...Cambridge DictionarySTONE THE CROWS definition and meaning - Collins Dictionarystone the crows in British English British and Australian slang. an expression of surprise, dismay, etc. See full dictionary entry for stone. Pronunciation. 'Wo...Collins DictionaryStone the crows - The Book of ThreesThose early Australian references are, from Lennie Lower's Here's Luck, 1930: "I told Stanley that you had been thrown out and asked him to pull up, but he mere...The Book of Threesstone the crows! - Longman DictionaryFrom Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English. stone the crows! ( also stone me!) British English old-fashioned used to express surprise or shock → stone. Wha...Longman Dictionaryorigin of phrase 'stone the crows' - English Stack Exchange{"passageText":"Meaning of Phrase: \u0027Stone the crows\u0027 is commonly understood as an exclamation expressing incredulity, annoyance, amazement, disbelief,english.stackexchange.comWhere does the expression 'Stone the crows' originate? It seems to ...Lives in Australia (1962–present) Author has 1.2K answers and. · 3y. Just take for granted that it is a thing you say when something unexpected happens - like “...QuoraStone the Crows - Microbee Environmental LondonThe saying 'Stone the crows' is an exclamation of surprise or annoyance. Its origins are unknown but probably relate to scaring crows away from farm animals by ...MICROBEE Environmentalorigin of phrase 'stone the crows' - English Stack Exchange{"passageText":"Geographic and Origin: The phrase \u0027stone the crows\u0027 is commonly used in Australia, the UK, and New Zealand, and evidence suggests it o...english.stackexchange.com