Buzz
Scarecrow remains the most commonly used word for the figure designed to deter birds from crops. In fact, it's arguably the only term still widely used today (except perhaps for straw man). However, history has gifted us with a range of amusing synonyms for scarecrow—here are 11 of the most charming, from blencher to moggy.
Blencher
In the 16th century, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, a blencher referred to any “person or thing used to turn or scare away”—which included scarecrows. The word originates from the Old English blench, meaning “to deceive, dodge, or divert.”
Bogle
Bogle is sometimes used as a synonym for scarecrow, though its wider definition encompasses ghosts, goblins, and all sorts of terrifying entities (or even people).
Potato-bogle
Did these potato farmers create a potato-bogle? | Grafissimo/GettyImagesA potato-bogle is a scarecrow with a potato head and/or placed in a potato field. This term came from 19th-century Scotland.
Tattie boodie
In 19th-century northeastern Scotland, people used tattie boodie, a playful nickname for a scarecrow in a potato field (or really any scarecrow). Tattie translates to “potato,” while boodie is essentially the Scottish version of bogle—a terrifying creature.
Worricow
Another Scottish term for a scarecrow is worricow, which dates back to the early 1700s. It could also refer to a frightening person, though when preceded by the, it refers to the devil.
Hobidy-booby
The OED’s sole reference to hobidy-booby comes from a 17th-century book titled Man’s Treachery to Woman: “His legs are so twisted… that he looks like a Hobidy-Booby, propped up with a couple of crooked billets.” The dictionary speculates that hobidy-booby likely meant “scarecrow,” with booby referring to a “clumsy person.” The hobidy part might have been influenced by words like Hobbididance, the name of an evil spirit in an old English folk dance known as the “morris.” Shakespeare even mentioned Hobbididance in King Lear. “Five fiends have been in poor Tom at once,” Edgar says, “of lust; as Obidicut; Hobbididence, prince of darkness; Mahu, of stealing; Modo, of murder; Flibbertigibbet, of mopping and mowing, who since possesses chambermaids and waiting women.”
Jack-of-straw
A jack-of-straw-and-lantern. | D-Keine/GettyImagesJack-o’-lantern isn’t the only autumnal Jack in folklore; there’s also Jack-of-straw, a term for a scarecrow or “a person lacking substance or financial means.” At least he has plenty of straw to keep him going.
Flay-crake
Crake is an old word for a crow or raven, and flay suggests causing significant harm. Clearly, a scarecrow’s role in 1788—when flay-crake first appeared—went beyond just scaring away birds.
Gally-crow
Gally, which surfaced in the 17th century, means “to frighten, daze, scare, [or] startle,” derived from the Old English verb a-gælwan, “to alarm.” So, gally-crow is nearly a perfect synonym for scarecrow.
Shaw-fowl
Technically, you could use these for target practice. | Peter Dazeley/GettyImagesShaw-fowl—a term that could refer to either a scarecrow or a decoy bird used for shooting practice—was popular in the 17th century, though the origin of shaw remains unclear. The first recorded mention of it comes from writings by Anglican bishop Richard Montagu, who used the term frequently in his works.
Moggy
Moggy is a British slang term historically used to refer to a cat, calf, cow, girl, guy, or any type of stuffed figure—scarecrows included, though that usage was fairly uncommon. (Moggy also plays a significant role in the origin story of how Peggy became a nickname for Margaret.)
