What Does "When the Crow Flies" Mean?

The phrase “when the crow flies” has been around since the 1700s and refers to the flight of a crow. This intelligent bird prefers short routes and is unobstructed by obstacles. Crows also travel straight and are good at estimating distance.

When a crow flies, it takes the shortest route between two points. This is an idiom that dates back to medieval sailors who kept a crow on board and let it fly when they were approaching land. They took this flight as a sign that land was nearby.

The phrase “when the crow flies” has many other uses. Most commonly, it is used to describe the shortest distance between two points. While this means the physical distance traveled by foot or car, it does not take into account obstacles on the ground. For example, if Ricardo and Patrick were to talk about where to meet for a party later in the evening, they would say that Ricardo lives half a mile north of Patrick. Patrick would think that half a mile is not very far.

In addition to meaning the shortest distance, the phrase also refers to the shortest route in any direction. For instance, a road from Crow to Campsie would be shorter than one if the crow flew directly over the mountain.