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5 Phrases You Can't Say Anymore, According to PETA

Don't fret, 'feed a fed horse' is fine
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 5, 2018 10:25 AM CST
5 Phrases You Can't Say Anymore, According to PETA
PETA members protest against fashion furs in Los Angeles on Sept. 18, 2018.   (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)

"I'm going to die laughing" is probably not the reaction PETA was seeking with its latest initiative supporting animal rights, this one demanding people abandon commonly used phrases with "anti-animal language." That includes "kill two birds with one stone," "bring home the bacon," and "take the bull by the horns"—phrases rooted in what PETA terms "speciesism," or discrimination based on species membership. "Just as it became unacceptable to use racist, homophobic, or ableist language, phrases that trivialize cruelty to animals will vanish as more people begin to appreciate animals for who they are," the group said in a Tuesday tweet, per Mashable. Click through to see its suggested replacement phrases, which left plenty of Twitter users amused.

  • "Feed two birds with one scone" over "kill two birds with one stone"
  • "Be the test tube" over "be the guinea pig"
  • "Feed a fed horse," not "beat a dead horse"
  • "Bring home the bagels" rather than "bring home the bacon"
  • "Take the flower by the thorns" over "take the bull by the horns"

"Sounds like some blatant anti-plantism to me," says one Twitter user, per HuffPo. "'Feed two birds with one scone' has broken my brain i'm going to die laughing," says another. (PETA previously sought a roadside memorial for dead lobsters.)

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