Ostrich can kick powerfully to kill a lion

 Collated by Tusar Nath Mohapatra

Yes, the idiomatic use of "ostrich hiding its head in the sand" is based on an untrue myth; ostriches do not bury their heads to escape danger. The saying refers to the act of ignoring a problem, and its origin comes from the false belief that ostriches do this when threatened. In reality, ostriches either flee, lie flat to blend in, or turn their eggs in the shallow nests they dig. 

• The myth's origin: The misconception likely arose from a combination of ostrich behaviors observed from a distance.
  • Lying low: When sensing danger, an ostrich will often lie flat on the ground with its neck outstretched to camouflage itself, which can look like its head is buried in the sand.
  • Turning eggs: Ostriches dig holes in the ground for their eggs and frequently put their heads into the nest to turn them. This action can be mistaken for burying their heads in the sand.
• The reality: Ostriches are fast runners and have keen eyesight, which they use to detect and flee from predators. If they cannot escape, they have other defense mechanisms, such as kicking powerfully enough to kill a lion.
• The idiom's meaning: Despite being based on a false premise, the idiom "to have one's head in the sand" or "to bury one's head in the sand" is widely used to mean a person who is deliberately ignoring a problem or refusing to deal with an unpleasant situation. 

-GoogleAI

https://www.google.com/search?q=whether+idiomatic+use+of+Ostrich+hiding+head+in+sand+untrue&oq

Yes, the sentiment of the Odia proverb about a cat stealthily drinking milk with its eyes closed, thinking no one sees it, occurs in English culture and thought, though not as a direct, widely-used proverb. The core meaning is about a person who commits a misdeed secretly, but their actions are obvious to others, and they foolishly believe their actions are unobserved. 

The closest common English expressions with a similar meaning would be:

• "Thinking they've pulled a fast one" (informal), meaning they believe they have successfully deceived someone when they haven't.
• The general concept is related to "self-deception" or a naive attempt to hide something obvious.
• One might also describe the person's actions as being as obvious as a "bull in a china shop" if the misdeed is clumsy, or simply state, "Everyone can see what you're doing". 

The Odia proverb uses a specific, vivid image of the cat's self-deception as a metaphor for human foolishness, a concept that is universally understood.

-GoogleAI

https://www.google.com/search?q=Is+Odia+proverb+cat+stealthily+drinking+milk+with+eyes+closed+occurs+in+English&oq