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Rabbits
Hares and Rabbits, and other Lagomorphs
Cute fluffy creatures with long ears. Culturally, rabbits are traditionally known for various things:
Being featured in Conjuring, as their sudden and mysterious appearance is miraculous, especially from out of a previously empty hat.
Self mass-production, as in "to breed like rabbits". The fecundity of rabbits is celebrated in Pagan beliefs, and also in the symbology of some of the products of Ann Summers (over 18 stuff).
Mystical Significance. For example, Alice in Wonderland and down the rabbit hole, a theme reprised in The Matrix. Also, the Mad March Hare at the Mad Hatter's Tea Party. Donny Darko and a mysterious scary lagomorphic character. In an earlier cinematographic era, Harvey, a 6ft high "white rabbit", a pooka (note that the earlier version of the movie is better). Movies of this like are available from such places as HMV
Hares are known for their speed, as in "the tortoise v the hare", apparent madness as in "Mad March Hare". Hare-brained (notice it's not "hair-brained"), refers to a mad plan, the allusion being to the mad behaviour of hares. Also, the notional thing that greyhounds chase and which people put bets on at the bookies. Plus, the Golden Hare was a prize in the fabled Kit Williams treasure hunt "Masquerade".
There are many rabbit/hare references at this site, which include the following...
A Coombs Pet Centre - rabbit items available
Affleck's Palace - described as a rabbit-warren
Buy Costumes - among their many fancy-dress costumes, rabbit is included
Bunny Bingo - an obvious rabbit reference
Zyra Circular Newsletter 125-126 - mentions in passing that some pet insurance companies will insure your rabbits
GJW Titmuss - products for rabbits included
Guinea Pigs - the alternative approach to mowing the lawn - compared with rabbits in terms of the smoothness of their lawn cutting abilities
Help U Cover - they insure rabbits
How to Hypnotise a Chicken - mentions in passing that lifting a rabbit by the ears is not recommended
ISO9002 - BS5750 - the expression "rabbits in the headlights" is mentioned
More Rabbit Than Sainsburys - a curious cultural observation
Pagans - rabbits are mentioned in context of the season of Spring
Peter Rabbit - famous lagomorphic children's character
Pets At Home - rabbit hutches available
Sainsburys - famous for the "more rabbit than" common phrase
Think Twice Before You Buy a Dog - yes, some dogs can catch rabbits
Warner Brothers - includes Bugs Bunny
Bunnoid - computer cable chomping lagomorph
Light Rabbit - luminescent sales with a symbolic rabbit
Rabbit paraphernalia was also available from FerretStore and My Pet Universe before they lost their affiliate programs!
Other sites...
Yes, you too can learn to talk with rabbits. See the Language of Lagomorphs
A "bunny boiler" is a type of stalker, a revenge-seeker, someone who is so infatuated with the person who becomes the victim, that they will do drastic antisocial things versus them. The term comes from the movie "Fatal Attraction" in which an obsessive woman pursues a man, and kills his family's pet rabbit and puts it on the stove to boil. This has stuck in the memory of folk.
Rabbits or Coneys?: The actual word "rabbit" was not used to refer to any adult creature until the 18th Century. Before that the adults were known as "Coneys". These days you seldom see the word "Coneys" to refer to rabbits, although there is a fashion shop, Coneys. Legend has it that in the 18th Century some puritanical people decided that "coney" was a naughty word as it was similar to another word which they were timid about. So, "Rabbit" became a euphemism to refer to the animal.
Rabbits or Hares? There are differences, but the definitions can vary across the Atlantic!
Cemetery enthusiasts are known as "Graveyard Rabbits".
Rabbit, not to be confused with Rabbet, which is a recess cut into the edge of something, usually wood.