Fred Clark of Slacktivist reports on the new parenthood of a pair of grackles nesting in his apartment building, and in the course of his report he quotes (from David Quammen) a use of the word “weedy” that I am unfamiliar with (and that does not appear in any of my dictionaries, including the OED):
What do fire ants, zebra mussels, Asian gypsy moths, tamarisk trees, maleleuca trees, kudzu, Mediterranean fruit flies, boll weevils and water hyacinths have in common with crab-eating macaques or Nile perch? Answer: They’re weedy species, in the sense that animals as well as plants can be weedy. What that implies is a constellation of characteristics: They reproduce quickly, disperse widely when given a chance, tolerate a fairly broad range of habitat conditions, take hold in strange places, succeed especially in disturbed ecosystems, and resist eradication once they’re established. They are scrappers, generalists, opportunists. They tend to thrive in human-dominated terrain because in crucial ways they resemble Homo sapiens: aggressive, versatile, prolific, and ready to travel.
I like that much better than the usual metaphorical extension of the word: “Unhealthily tall and thin; lanky and wanting physical vigour; also, weakly, of poor physique. Also without reference to physical qualities: feeble, half-hearted, weak; lacking firmness or strength.” (OED) I hope it becomes widespread.
I also like very much the conclusion of Fred’s post:
These brand new common grackles—like the human tenant from whom they are subletting—may do little to enhance biodiversity, but that’s not the whole point either.
What are grackles for? Grackles grackle, ad majorem gloriam dei. This lot of them is grackling nicely, and I find them uncommonly delightful.
Speak Your Mind