lovebirds

   ‘Come up for air, you lovebirds,’ says someone to an amorous couple in Mariana, by Monica Dickens. In Diamonds are Forever, by Ian Fleming, James Bond and Tiffany Case are collectively addressed by the same term. The West African lovebird is a tiny member of the parrot tribe, but lovebird has been applied to various other species where a mating pair of birds show great affection. The vocative is one of a very small group of terms which applies to two people only, though ‘two’ may be included in the vocative group. ‘Hey you two lovebirds’ occurs in Rabbit is Rich, by John Updike. There is an unusual use of the singular ‘lovebird’ in The Dream Team, by Joe McGinnis. A couple have just been exchanging endearments and acting like lovebirds. A male friend interrupts them and says to the man: ‘Let’s go to the paddock, lovebird. It’s time to look at our horse.’