I agree, I move that we change the idiom and that pmiller2's remarks be stricken from the record.
Yeah, me too. I didn’t even look twice. And I’m not sure I agree with the advice to use a tired expression rather than something more original.
In Swedish we say ”the bird way”, as in ”it’s x km going the bird way”.
In German we say "the airline" airline is already taken in English.
Air-line, I like it.
In Croatian we use "air distance"... I'm going to be smug about it's more understandable than both (even though I like the Game Of Thrones association when ever I hear "as the crow flies")
But how to know if the bird is flying or driving?
Or if it gets lost along the way. And who says they actually fly in straight lines?