Burglars in cartoons have a few things in common. They wear masks, they usually dress in black, and theyâre normally sporting a crowbar. The prying tool is not inherently for criminals, but it does communicate a willingness to rip somethingâlike, say, a doorjamb or window frameâapart.
But why is it called a âcrowbarâ? Does it have anything to do with crows ? And is it different from a prybar?
The Oxford English Dictionary, considered a primary authority on linguistics, has precious little to say on the etymology of crowbar . But it does offer that this type of prybar was once known simply as a crow.
The OED cites such use back to the 15th century, defining it as a âbar of iron usually with one end slightly bent and sharpened to a beak, used as a lever or prise.â Later, in the 16th century, gardening tools, grappling hooks, and door-knockers were all variously known as crows.
Itâs unknown why or when crow became crowbar , though itâs possible that as language evolved, there became a need to differentiate between the bird and the tool, or between the various tools known as a crow. The OED dates the first printed use of the term to 1748, when documentation of the colonial history of New Jersey noted that âmen, armed with clubs, axes, and crow bars [ sic ], came, in a riotous and tumultuous manner.â
Whether crow and crowbar were actually named after the bird is hard to substantiate. Some have theorized that because the crowbar has one end that resembles a crowâs beak or foot that it must have been named after the bird.
âIt is from the fancied resemblance of the bent and flattened point of the instrument to the bill of a crow, that it is called a crow-bar,â wrote one Buffalo News columnist in 1934. (The word was sometimes hyphenated, though that fell out of practice.)
Though not definitive, itâs become largely accepted wisdom. Most people writing into newspapers in the pre-internet era asking for the origins of the word got the same explanation.
While the origins of crowbar are somewhat murky, thereâs no truth to the idea it was ever a racist term. The word crow has been used as a slur for Black people, but that started in the 1700s, centuries after crowbar first took hold. Thereâs no evidence crowbar refers to any racist language.
Crowbar and prybar are not exactly interchangeable , though some people might use the terms indiscriminately. Nor is there any official tool industry standard.
In general , though, crowbars are often on the heavier side, with one rounded or curved neck. A prybar is often smaller and thinner, with a 90-degree neck. Crowbars are often used for demolitionâtearing, ripping, and displacement. Prybars might be for jobs that call for a little more care or caution. You might use a prybar to remove a nail or open a crate; youâd use a crowbar to tear up your kitchen cabinets for replacement.
A wrecking bar is a remarkably similar tool , though some people may reserve the term for a bar that has a more prominent hook on the end.
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