animal bird or body part

[johnsam]

what is 'easily mistaken for a old fashioned country dweller'answer is either an animal bird or body part

[Quizmonster]

A jay...ie a bird. It is an old word for a country-dweller and it is from that connection that we get the phrase 'jay-walking'. That is like a countryman in town who forgets that he has to look out for traffic, now that he's not in an open field or village lane somewhere!

[Cetti]

QM, Please would you let me know your source (OED?) for the Jay, as I often take part in 'birdy' quizzes and need the origin - all I can find is 'member of the crow family'. Thank you.

Apologies for cross posting johnsam.

[Quizmonster]

Dear Cetti, the OED gives various meanings for 'jay' apart from the 'bird' one. I have to admit it doesn't specifically say "old-fashioned country-dweller", but it does give 'simpleton/gawk/sight' - all of which might apply - whilst it and Chambers both give the USA colloquial meaning 'unsophisticated' which suggests an American jaywalker is someone from Hicksville.

In addition, one of the quotes the OED offers for 'jaywalker' reads: "In many streets like Oxford Street, for instance, the jaywalker wanders complacently in the very middle of the roadway as if it was a country lane."

The gist of that quote and the other ideas above were obviously in my head when I put fingers to keyboard. (I hope it's the right answer!)

[Cetti]

I'm sure your right, it sounds good to me anyway. It's just that I was unable to find the definitive word for an old fashioned country dweller, and knowing you have an avalanche of reference books ( plus a brainful of facts!) hoped it might be hidden away in some little nook.

[Dave Potts]

Looking at this again per QM's recommendation to do so from another post, and whilst the 'jay' answer is inspired I can't help thinking this might be something else, partly because this doesn't really address the 'easily mistaken for' part of the puzzle - to my mind this suggests that the animal, bird or body part might well be an anagram of the word for 'country dweller'. Or maybe I've just been doing too many crosswords. Anyway, a traditional word for country dweller was 'pagan' or 'heathen', but I've tried every combination of these to come up with something meaningful and have hit a wall, so maybe there's some other name out there which might provide the answer. Just thought I'd stick this thought here to see if it ignited any sparks - over to you QM!

[johnsam]

hi all you quiz fans ,the answer to "easily mistaken for a old fashioned country dweller" was not jay but pheasant as in peasants. thanks for all help