As the Crow Flies
As the crow flies means in a straight line, the shortest distance between two places. It ignores curves, hills, or winding roads - just how a bird would fly from point A to B.
synonyms: straight line distance, direct route, point-to-point, shortest way
Hillbilly Dude Says...
When you're up in the hills, you use 'as the crow flies' fairly often - but it's not uncommon other places, either. Hillbilly Dude Says...
When you're up in the hills, you use 'as the crow flies' fairly often - but it's not uncommon other places, either. Pronunciation
[AZ thuh KRO FLAHZ] /æz ðə kroʊ flaɪz/
Meaning & Usage
- Describing the direct, straight-line distance
Clara:
How far’s town from here?
How far’s town from here?
Raylene:
Only ten miles as the crow flies - but twenty by road.
Only ten miles as the crow flies - but twenty by road.variations: as the buzzard flies, as the bird flies
Origin
The phrase appeared in **18th-century England**, probably from the old seafaring practice of releasing a crow from a ship to find land; the bird would fly straight toward the nearest coast.
It later entered everyday British and American English to describe straight-line distance. In the South, where hills, rivers, and winding backroads make "crow miles" much shorter than real travel miles, the saying became especially popular.
Verdict: Southernish. Used everywhere, but it rings especially familiar in rural and mountain talk.
Notes
- Used for travel, maps, storytelling, or directions.
- Often said with a wink - "only ten miles as the crow flies" can mean "you’ll never make it in ten."
- Pairs naturally with "over yonder" and "down the road a piece."
- Still widely used in both formal and folksy contexts.
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