The other day I used the above phrase — the canary in the coal mine — and a person said, “What does that mean?”

Canary in a cage with an oxygen bottle resuscitator. Real life thing.

Miners carried canaries in special cages into the depths of underground coal mines because the canary was more sensitive than humans to deadly gases like carbon monoxide.

If the canary died, then the miners hauled ass and, hopefully, revived the canary. Continue reading →