saw-whet owl

[ saw-hwet, -wet ]

/ ˈsɔˌʰwɛt, -ˌwɛt /

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a very small North American owl, Aegolius acadicus, having streaked, brown plumage and lacking ear tufts.

QUIZZES

Did you ever collect all those state quarters? Put them to good use on this quiz about curious state monikers and the facts around them.

Question 1 of 8

Mississippi’s nickname comes from the magnificent trees that grow there. What is it?

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35; allegedly so called because its cry was likened to the noise of a saw being whetted

But Krauss said that from the moment he and the other scientists arrived on the island, they never saw anything untoward.
Sleazy Billionaire’s Double Life Featured Beach Parties With Stephen Hawking|M.L. Nestel|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Because they stopped and I thought, “OK, that makes sense,” and then all of a sudden I saw another issue!
Coffee Talk with Fred Armisen: On ‘Portlandia,’ Meeting Obama, and Taylor Swift’s Greatness|Marlow Stern|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“We saw his background and he was a Bronx guy and we started breaking the case,” Boyce says.
Shot Down During the NYPD Slowdown|Michael Daly|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
We just saw an edit of one called, “Doug Becomes A Feminist,” and I just really enjoyed watching it.
Coffee Talk with Fred Armisen: On ‘Portlandia,’ Meeting Obama, and Taylor Swift’s Greatness|Marlow Stern|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST

In Rwanda, as we watched the young fathers hold their babies, we saw a contented look in their eyes.
How Good Dads Can Change the World|Gary Barker, PhD, Michael Kaufman|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Davy looked around and saw an old man coming toward them across the lawn.
Davy and The Goblin|Charles E. Carryl
Even as they gazed they saw its roof caught up, and whirled off as if it had been a scroll of paper.
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne
In the evening, St. Peter's and its accessories were illuminated—by far the most brilliant spectacle I ever saw.
Glances at Europe|Horace Greeley
There was no fighting; a rifle shot now and then from the crests where we saw our fellows clearly.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
As his eye became accustomed to the gloom, David Arden saw traces of gilding on the walls.
Checkmate|Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu