Crikey!

I'm a bit late to hear the news: Steve Irwin, a.k.a. the Croc Hunter, has been killed at age 44 during the filming of a documentary about stingrays. In what has been described as a freak accident, Irwin was struck in the chest by a stingray whose barb apparently penetrated to the heart. He was pronounced dead upon being brought out of the water.

While a lot of people focused on Irwin's signature "Crikey," I thought his pronunciation of the word "cloaca" (kloh-WAY-kah!) was far, far funnier. I have to admit his death came as a shock. You get used to the idea that these wildlife experts, who regularly tangle with dangerous beasts on camera, will always come out of any situation more or less unscathed. But now Irwin's off to that big cloaca in the sky.

RIP, Croc Hunter.


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