Are Pregnant Goldfish Called Twits?
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What Are Pregnant Goldfish Called?
Recently my family mentioned that 'twit' is apparently the word for a pregnant goldfish. My father promptly tested this on a number of his staff and was surprised to find the answer was unanimous. A pregnant goldfish is a 'twit'.
Curious about this, I headed for my computer and started researching... to find nothing. And more nothing. And then some somethings. Twit, or more rarely, twat or twerp, is commonly accepted in Australia and New Zealand, and occasionally America to mean a pregnant goldfish - one of those things 'everyone knows'. But DOES it?
No. It's simply an odd bit of slang that gets stuck in people's heads.
For two reasons - firstly, a goldfish (Carassius auratus auratus) cannot GET pregnant. (To be fair, it may simply be referring to an egg laden fish).
But secondly, twit has several meanings, none of which are in any way fish related. It may have evolved from a very old usage of 'twirp', but no one really knows why people now use it. It's probably just the joke answer to a trick question
Alright - but my goldfish is full of eggs, so what IS a pregnant goldfish called? An egg-laden fish (not pregnant, as the eggs aren't fertilised by the male until after she lays them) is 'gravid' or 'ripe'.YOUR TURN!
Will the arguments balance out?
Yinyang Art poster by Flynn_the_Cat
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Are Pregnant Goldfish Called Twits?
Yes, you're right!
KellydeBorda says:
Since language is always changing, I'd say that if enough people believe that 'twit' means pregnant goldfish, then it does. Nauseous used to mean something that made you feel nauseated. But so many people used it incorrectly that nowadays it actually means 'to feel nauseated'. Go figure.
johnfn says:
I suppose
strayspay says:
Yes, just as two or more hawks are called a kettle.
No way, Monkeybrain!
juey says:
But "gravid" does mean "pregnant" in Norwegian!
What Does 'Twit' Mean?
HELP ME PROVE MY POINT
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Common Goldfish, Carassius auratus
Information on all types of freshwater fish, aquar more...0 points
twit - definition from Ninjawords (a really fast dictionary)
A really fast online dictionary0 points
twit - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
Definition of twit from the Merriam-Webster Online more...0 points
http://www.internetslang.com/TWIT.asp
Internet Slang. A list of common slang words, acronyms more...0 points
What is a pregnant goldfish called?
What is a pregnant goldfish called - trivia questi more...0 points
DISPROVE MY POINT (fine, be that way)
Disagree? Put your money where your mouth is and show us why.
Post links that point out why you think I'm wrong.
A pregnant goldfish is called a twit | A brilliant place for every kid
A pregnant goldfish is called a twit...0 points
RELATED NEWS: FODDER FOR ARGUING MORE
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How to Tell If a Goldfish Is Pregnant
(and by 'pregant' we mean 'egg laden' )
You also need to consider sexing the fish, and dropsy.
Identify signs of a pregnant goldfish with helpful information from a practicing veterinarian in this free video on pet care.
Expert: James Talbott
Contact: www.belleforestanimalhospital.com
Bio: Dr. James R. Talbott is a staff veterinarian at Belle Forest Animal Hospital and Kennel in Nashville, Tenn.
Filmmaker: Dimitri LaBarge
Sexing Your Goldfish
Ruling out a male pregnancy?
This site has clear instructions and photos for sexing your goldfish.
The Twit is a Fine Old British Insult
twit (v.)
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
The OTHER kind of Twit
Hands up who hasn't heard of Roald Dahl?
The Twits
Amazon Price: $3.18 (as of 05/29/2012)
Mr. and Mrs. Twit are two of the most disgusting, nasty, and horrid characters in children's literature, from their repulsive looks (the story opens with a long, detailed description of Mr. Twit's unkempt beard) to the mean and horrible tricks they play on one another (Mrs. Twit enjoys hiding her glass eyeball in unexpected places and lacing the spaghetti with worms; Mr. Twit works for weeks to convince his wife that she has "The Shrinks").
Uses of the Word 'Twit' Today
Never a Goldfish to be Seen!
see more Lolcats and funny pictures
The word twit tend to turn up in children's books (I can highly recommend the two below, although I'm a little old for them now!), humour - such as the Monthy Python sketch 'The Upper Class Twit of the Year', and occasionally as an English surname, handed down and burdening school child after school child.
Livebearing Fish
Grey Nurse Shark Birth in Captivity at UnderWater World
The birth is the culmination of only the fifth successful Grey Nurse Shark pregnancy in captivity worldwide! The birth was unexpected and happened in the middle of one of the daily tours through the UnderWater World aquarium.
UnderWater World diver Ryan Keck assisted in the delivery and protected the pup from other circling adult sharks eager for prey!
Goldfish Pictures!
Okay, I admit it, that's actually a Betta fish.
Yinyang by Flynn_the_Cat
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Goldfish are Interesting Fish
For Those Who Like Their Goldfish Games
Goldfish have strong associative learning abilities, as well as social learning skills and are able to tell different people apart, through sight and sound.In the wild, they can survive under ice for long periods of time by switching to an anoxic (no oxygen) metabolism - which produces ethanol! (So if you kept it in a small enough area, you'd get concentrated alcholic water) And they'll eventually turn grey, as the bright colours are a reaction to light.
Reader Feedback
Twit me!
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r2fish
Mar 21, 2011 @ 3:24 am | delete
- This is a nice info on goldfish. I enjoyed going through it.
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23squidoo
Feb 4, 2011 @ 2:33 pm | delete
- Very interesting and well-presented lens. Both educational and fun! Angel Blessings to you.
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Jun 5, 2010 @ 12:13 am | delete
- I did not know that a pregnant goldfish is called a "twit" but what I knew that a goldfish got never pregnant because they just laid eggs. Early Pregnancy Symptoms
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Deus
Feb 23, 2010 @ 11:27 pm | delete
- I got the fact from a book called something like '1001 random facts' and it stuck in my mind ever since. That book gave me a few other misconceptions if I recall rightly, although it was a long time ago that I read it. Anyway, nice webpagey thingy. You'll have to show me how to set one up sometime.
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aj2008
Dec 2, 2009 @ 4:12 am | delete
- I love the way you have put this lens together and added your own artwork, making it very unique! Normally I need a "humor" lens to make me laugh out loud to bless it ;) but in this case I am going to make an exception. So, SquidAngel Blessings for you!
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About Me
The Definition of Twit in the Compact Oxford English Dictionary
(The two volume edition with really tiny writing)
by Flynn_the_Cat
I'm a Marine Biology post-graduate student, digital artist, traditional artist and photographer, obsessive reader, librarian and internet addict.
I...
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More About Caring For Your Goldfish in the aquarium...
in the aquarium...
Fancy Goldfish: Complete Guide To Care And Collecting
Amazon Price: $26.12 (as of 05/29/2012)
People Who Really Were Called 'Twit'
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