h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

What the heck is a Magpie anyway? Sorry if I seem uneducated but I would appreciate some insight!

seriously? a magpie is a black and white bird (hence the pie, or pied, part of it's name) of a similar size to a crow. they are supposed to be attracted to shiny objects, and are therefore often accused of stealing them (frequently without a fair trial). there is a children's rhyme/song (which i believe is quite old) about them, and the 'luck' they bring, which goes:

one for sorrow
two for joy
three for a girl
four for a boy
five for silver
six for gold
seven for a secret never to be told
eight for a kiss
nine for a wish

and ten for who-knows-what.

I only see one at a time...bummer.

Magpies is also a nickname for Newcastle United Football Club and its supporters, tho' I prefer the term skunks coined by Sunderland supporters.

Sunderland supporters are always badgering Newcastle fans then?

No it's simple tribal warfare - or so I believe. Being a soft southerner I don't like to intrude too much in local rivalries. Besides whcih I find it difficult to work out what they say.

In Latin the magpie is 'pica varia', the 'varia' showing it had different colours.

I have found that people often associate magpies with bad luck unless an action is performed such as greeting them, reciting 'hello mister magpie' three times and then spitting at them, or pointing them out to someone else, whereupon the bad luck is diffused. Whether this only applies to the one for sorrow I'm not sure, as the rest of the magpies are supposed to herald more pleasnt events. Does anyone know any other customs associated with magpies?

Agree with the 'Hello Mr Magpie' bit, glad someone else agrees that's a superstition because I was beginning to wonder about my partner who recites that every time she sees a single magpie (one for sorrow I suppose). According to her, it has to be a single magpie, you don't have to say it if there are two.
Having seen your article, I suppose I'll have to get her to recite it twice more and gob out of the car window next time we see one...