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Grouse vs Quail - What's the difference?

grouse | quail |

As nouns the difference between grouse and quail

is that grouse is any of various game birds of the family tetraonidae which inhabit temperate and subarctic regions of the northern hemisphere or grouse can be a cause for complaint while quail is any of various small game birds of the genera coturnix'', ''anurophasis'' or ''perdicula in the old world family phasianidae or of the new world family odontophoridae.

As verbs the difference between grouse and quail

is that grouse is to seek or shoot grouse or grouse can be to complain or grumble while quail is to waste away; to fade, wither or quail can be to curdle; to coagulate, as milk does.

As an adjective grouse

is (australian|nz|slang) excellent.

grouse

English

(wikipedia grouse)

Etymology 1

Attested in the 1530s, as grows , a plural used collectively. Of origin.

Noun

(en-noun)
  • Any of various game birds of the family Tetraonidae which inhabit temperate and subarctic regions of the northern hemisphere.
  • Verb

    (grous)
  • To seek or shoot grouse.
  • Etymology 2

    As a verb from the late 19th century (first recorded by Kipling), as a noun from the early 20th; origin uncertain, possibly from French groucier "to murmur, grumble", in origin onomatopoeic. Compare grutch with the same meaning, but attestation from the 1200s, whence also grouch.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A cause for complaint.
  • Verb

    (grous)
  • To complain or grumble.
  • *1890 , Kipling,
  • *:If you're cast for fatigue by a sergeant unkind,
  • Don't grouse like a woman, nor crack on, nor blind;
    Be handy and civil, and then you will find
    That it's beer for the young British soldier.

    Etymology 3

    1940s, origin .

    Adjective

    (er)
  • (Australian, NZ, slang) Excellent.
  • I had a grouse day.
    That food was grouse .
  • * 1991 , , Scribner Paperback Fiction 2002, page 182,
  • They were the grousest ladies she?d ever met.
  • * {{quote-newsgroup
  • , title=SPOILER FTF - questions , group=aus.tv.x-files , author=Stujo , date=July 23 , year=1998 , passage=Not a question but the gag of Mulder pissing on the ID4 poster was grouse . citation
  • * {{quote-newsgroup
  • , title=FS Ultralight Aircraft , group=aus.motorcycles , author=Leeroy , date=October 4 , year=2003 , passage=I know, but I moved from riding bikes to flying and it is a great move. All riders without a fear of heights I know that flew with me thought it was grouse - and there are no coppers or speed limits up there. citation

    quail

    English

    (wikipedia quail)

    Etymology 1

    Origin uncertain; perhaps related to (etyl) queilen.

    Alternative forms

    * (l) (obsolete) * (l)

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To waste away; to fade, wither.
  • * 1978 , (Lawrence Durrell), Livia , Faber & Faber 1992 (Avignon Quintet), p. 358:
  • To tell the truth the prospect rather quailed him – wandering about in the gloomy corridors of a nunnery.
  • To lose heart or courage; to be daunted, fearful.
  • * Longfellow
  • Stouter hearts than a woman's have quailed in this terrible winter.
  • * 1886 , (Robert Louis Stevenson), (Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde):
  • Mr. Utterson had already quailed at the name of Hyde; but when the stick was laid before him, he could doubt no longer; broken and battered as it was, he recognized it for one that he had himself presented many years before to Henry Jekyll.
  • * 1949 , (George Orwell), Nineteen Eighty-Four , p. 25:
  • His heart quailed before the enormous pyramidal shape.
  • To slacken, give way (of courage, faith etc.).
  • Etymology 2

    From (etyl) ).

    Noun

    (en-noun)
  • Any of various small game birds of the genera Coturnix'', ''Anurophasis'' or ''Perdicula in the Old World family Phasianidae or of the New World family Odontophoridae.
  • (obsolete) A prostitute; so called because the quail was thought to be a very amorous bird.
  • (Shakespeare)
    Derived terms
    * common quail * quailish

    See also

    * partridge

    Etymology 3

    (etyl) coaillier, (etyl) cailler, from (etyl) (lena) coagulare. See coagulate.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To curdle; to coagulate, as milk does.
  • (Holland)
    (Webster 1913)