Dead Parrot sketch culture. The "Dead Parrot" sketch was inspired by a "Car Salesman" sketch that Palin and Chapman had done in "How to Irritate People". In it, Palin played a car salesman who repeatedly refused to admit that there was anything wrong with his customer's (Chapman) car, even as it fell apart in front of him. That sketch was based on an actual incident between Palin and a car salesman. In "Monty Python Live at Aspen", Palin said that this salesman "had an excuse for everything". John Cleese said on the same show that he and Chapman "believed that there was something
Parrot crossbill Parrot crossbill The parrot crossbill ("Loxia pytyopsittacus") is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. The scientific name is from Ancient Greek. "Loxia" derives from "loxos", "crosswise", and "pytyopsittacus" is from "pitus, pituos", "pine", and "psittakos", "parrot". This bird breeds in the pine forests of northwest Europe and into western Russia. There is also a small population in Scotland, adding to the difficulty of distinguishing it from red crossbill and the endemic Scottish crossbill, both of which breed within its range. This crossbill is mainly resident, but will irrupt south and west if its food source fails. This