※ 读典故学英语，够有趣--（4）今天换鸽子了
STOOL PIGEON
stool pigeon 这个短语到底是什么意思呢？既然 stool 可作『凳子』或『粪便』解，那么 stool pigeon 是否是指停留在雕像上拉屎的鸽子？抑或和家具有什么联系呢？
其实，stool 在这个短语中根本就没有『家具』或『粪便』的意思，实际上它是 stale 或 stall 的变体，意为『引诱，诱骗』。例如英国的剧作家和诗人莎士比亚的名著《暴风雨》中有这样一句话：
"The trumpery in my house goe bring it hither for stale to catch these theeves."
（大意：把房间里那些中看不重用的东西作为诱饵，目的是为了抓住这群贼骨头。）
stool pigeon 来源于法语 estale 或 estal，意指用来诱捕老鹰的鸽子。而这一法语单词又是从德语 stall 衍生而来的，意为『栅栏』或『固定的位置』。据此可以推断，stool pigeon 是指『（抓捕犯人的）密探』，当然现在它也有『告密者』之意。
Pigeon English
[perhaps a corruption of business English], an extraordinary and grotesque dialect, employed in the commercial cities of China, as the medium of communication between foreign merchants and the Chinese. Its base is English, with a mixture of Portuguese and Hindoostanee. --Johnson's Cyc
pigeon 在slang中有容易上当受骗的意思，另外，还有特别关心的事务或者是人，比如：
Football is not his pigeon 他不怎么喜欢踢足球。
a pigeon pair 一男一女的双胞胎。
另外，put/set the cat among the pigeons 的意思是招惹麻烦。
在医学上，一些和这个词有关系的一些词汇如下：
1. pigeon brest 鸡胸，不是鸽胸啊，呵呵
2. pigeont-toed 足内翻的
以下是网上各位回复的关于鸽子的词组：
(as) harmless as a dove 和善得象鸽子，象鸽子一样无害于人
as mild as a dove 非常温和
dove of peace 和平鸽
bird of peace 和平鸽
doves and hawks dove 鸽派和鹰派
In the whole affair, he played the role of a humiliated stool pigeon.
pigeon-livered 温柔的
pigeon's milk 不存在的事物
pigeonhearted 胆小的, 害羞的
One who is easily swindled; a dupe. 傻瓜容易上当受骗的人；易被愚弄的人
clay pigeon 清洁的衣服
carrier pigeon 信鸽
be someone's pigeon: Originally this expression was "that's not my pidgin". The word 'pidgin' represents a 17th century Chinese pronunciation of the word 'business'. The expression literally meant the same as "that's not my business".
e.g: I'm sorry to load this on you, Harry, but I'm selfishly glad it's your pigeon rather than mine.
put/set the cat among the pigeons: to cause trouble, esp. by doing or saying something that is unexpected or excites strong feeling pigeon-hole:
a.（文件或信笺的）分类格架，常用于被动语态
I put (papers, and ect.)in a pigeon-hole, and ingore it.
b.分类，归档，尤指硬性的
She flet her son has been pigion-hole as a problem child.
pigeon English 洋泾浜英语， 英汉夹杂语
pigeon hawk (美国产的)一种小鹰
pigeon house 鸽笼，鸽舍
pigeon retina 鸽视网膜