As the crow flies

The phrase “as the crow flies,” meaning the most direct route, is believed to originate from the marine world. It refers to crows being released from the crow’s nest of a ship to aid navigation in finding the nearest land.

However, crows do conspicuously fly alone across open country, but crows do not fly in particularly straight lines. While crows do not swoop in the air like swallows or starlings, they often circle above their nests, so this theory, nice as it is, may have to be taken with a pinch of salt (there’s no marine link to this phrase!)