More to think about

Two days into inventory and I am glad to report that I am no longer sick as a dog. I am actually happy as a clam. Happy as a clam is a portion of a phrase quite commonly used in the US in the early 19th century. It even made it into the poetry of John G. Saxe, who wrote Sonnet to a Clam and waxed poetic about the secure state of clams when they are immersed completely in water. Happy as a clam is only a portion of the phrase, and the full phrase should be "happy as a clam in high water," or at high tide. Clams can't be dug at high tide, only low tide, hence their happiness in high water. A group of clams is called a bed which is where I should be since I've awake since 3AM. I suppose I could be happy as a lark since work is over because then I could go skylarking. 'Larking about' or 'lark about' has been used to mean 'getting up to mischief; playing the fool' since at least the middle of the 19th century. At source its origins may well be somewhat earlier than that; how much earlier depends on which of the proposed origins proves to be correct. A group of larks is an exaltation. An exaltation is a state or feeling of intense, often excessive exhilaration or well-being. Like when the work day has ended and you're on your way home, tired and ready for bed. Either one; sleep or maybe clams for dinner. Others eat clams for dinner. Larger crabs, such as blue crabs, green crabs and mud crabs, eat clams. Crabs will not eat the shells of clams. To reach the edible clam body ...inside the shell, crabs crush clams between their claws, which breaks the shell open. Soft-shell clams make up the bulk of the green crab's diet. A group of crabs is called a cast. Apart from that meaning, cast means to throw (something) forcefully in a specified direction: "lemmings cast themselves off the cliff". A group of lemmings is called a slice. Perhaps because they are the slice of life. Slice of life is a phrase describing the use of mundane realism depicting everyday experiences in art and entertainment. They could have been in a play with a cast of crabs...or they just like pie. Maybe they could eat it in one gulp. But, then again, a gulp is a group of Cormorants. A cormorant is any of several large, widely distributed marine diving birds of the genus Phalacrocorax, having dark plumage, webbed feet, a slender hooked bill, and a distensible pouch. It is also a greedy, rapacious person. Someone who eats a lot of pie. Not necessarily by the slice. Certainly not one bite. A bite is a group of midges. Midges comprise many kinds of very small two-winged flies found world-wide. While some midges are vectors for disease, many others play useful roles as prey items for insectivores, such as frogs. A group of frogs is called a knot. Maybe they could tie the knot with the cast and then crawl into bed and scream exaltations as they bite slices of pie in one gulp. They would all be in good company...but the again, a company is a group of widgeons...