I'm no linguist but doesn't it mean to crow about or boast loudly in the manner of a noisy and coarse sounding carrion bird ( eg. a crow). Hence the term 'crowing' when describing similar behaviour.
"far cry" is used to denote difference in degree, or between ideas or qualities. One would never use the idiom in reference to actual distance.. "It is a far cry from astubbed toe to an amputation"...
da same would b tear up or as guys say "i had something in my eye, i was sweatin thro my eye, and the most funniest would b it was rainin thro the roof" even tho theres no leaks or cracks and its not...