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Re: Parrots
I can't add anything about Polly, but perhaps you know (you're Brazilian, I think?) if parrots in South America are called something other than Polly. I've been told that they are known as Robert, but that seems odd - why not Roberto, for one thing? And other animals ... English donkeys are known as Neddy, for instance, but I bet Portuguese and Spanish ones aren't.
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I've never heard of a donkey here in the UK known as Neddy at all. I've never heard the word as a slang term or in conversation. Source?
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Innumerable vintage children's books! Most featuring donkey rides on beaches like Blackpool, Weston-super-Mare etc. And presumably this is happening less and less, so the usage would also fade.
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Related to your response, the word "parrot" is just a diminutive of PETER, anyway...
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