As the Crow Flies

Welcome to English in a minute!

Have you heard this phrase in American English?

As the crow flies

What do these people mean when they say, “As the crow flies?”

Let’s listen:

I am going to check my GPS, but first, can you tell me how far the airport is from here?

I think it’s about 2 miles.

The airport isn’t very far, “as the crow flies, “ but you can’t get there directly.

You have to drive around the mountains.

It’s about 40 miles by car.

A crow is a big , black bird.

“As the crow flies “ describes the distance between two places as a bird, or an airplane, might fly.

It does not include the turns in a road going around mountains, bodies of water.

Now you can use “as the crow flies “ in a conversation!

And that’s English in a Minute!