that's a headless chicken
and it refers to the body, as the heart continues to pump as there is a continuation of normality for it until it realises no impulses are coming from the brain, but headless chickens have survived lots longer
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GrandmaOfShoes,
Fri 2 Dec 2005, 15:33,
archived)
One survived months with most of its head gone.
There's photos and everything (they feed it by putting corn down its neck stump).
Earned them a fortune on the freak show circuit.
(
Hagbard ... it's been a long time.,
Fri 2 Dec 2005, 16:06,
archived)