Colossal Ladybird

As an Englishman, I approve of the use of the English Ladybird (rather than the American Ladybug). Kudos Anet.

Entomologists widely prefer the names ladybird beetles or lady beetles as these insects are not classified as true bugs.

Well they aren't birds, either.

@Blood Red Arachnid.2493 said:Well they aren't birds, either.

or ladies. at least not all of them. :)

The correct name is obviously: Red Spotted Beetle

@Blood Red Arachnid.2493 said:Well they aren't birds, either.

True, but it's fairly self-evident that they're not birds. Whereas a lot of people think all small invertebrates are bugs and a lot of entomologists spend a lot of time trying to convince them otherwise and sometimes get quite worked up about it.

See also: fish.

@Danikat.8537 said:

@"Blood Red Arachnid.2493" said:Well they aren't birds, either.

Funny you should mention fish when a similar thing is happening with Jellyfish. A lot of marine biologists have been pushing the term "Jellies" for years because Jellyfish aren't exactly fish.

@Danikat.8537 said:

@"Blood Red Arachnid.2493" said:Well they aren't birds, either.

See also also "fruit" and botanists versus chefs ==> tomatoes are fruit. avocados are fruit. aubergines ("eggplant" for the left-pondian audience) are fruit. Unless you're a chef.

Oh, and strawberries aren't berries, but grapes, oranges and tomatoes are berries.

And see also also also "nuts", peanuts, (which are and are not nuts, depending on whom you ask).

All of these things are a consequence of the collision between technical language and colloquial language.

@"Illconceived Was Na.9781" said:

Entomologists widely prefer the names ladybird beetles or lady beetles as these insects are not classified as true bugs.

My primary school teacher > Entymologists

@Magek.4718 said:

@Danikat.8537 said:

@"Blood Red Arachnid.2493" said:Well they aren't birds, either.

Things like that are exactly why I mentioned them. Also star fish (which are not fish), and sea horses (which are...and are definitely not horses). But there's also some people who will call almost any free moving (so not coral) aquatic animal a fish. Like @Steve The Cynic.3217 said it's the difference between colloquial and technical language, not at all helped by the fact that one of the rules of biology seems to be that if there's a rule there is also an exception. Almost every classification or grouping of animals has ones which don't quite fit the definition and others which do but look completely differently.

Going back to the original topic I also prefer the name Ladybird. Maybe I'm biased because I am British so it's 'normal' to me (although some people over here have started saying Ladybug, presumably because of TV) but I just think it sounds nicer.

@Magek.4718 said:

@Danikat.8537 said:

@"Blood Red Arachnid.2493" said:Well they aren't birds, either.

Pretty sure Starfish is in the same spot, no?

Personally I prefer ladybug, because I like how the word "buuuuuuuuug" sounds. All of this stuff about etymology and technicalities therein is just nitpicking.

I like the "English" name of it too, but to me I will always say Ladybug, or in Swedish, "Nyckelpiga".Which makes no sense at all, ??

A straight off translate: Nyckelpiga - Keymaid?????

@Magek.4718 said:The correct name is obviously: Red Spotted BeetleThe spots are black though...

@"Alga.6498" said:I like the "English" name of it too, but to me I will always say Ladybug, or in Swedish, "Nyckelpiga".Which makes no sense at all, ??

A straight off translate: Nyckelpiga - Keymaid?????

http://www.norstedts.se/nyheter/amp/137423-varfor-heter-det-nyckelpiga-

:wink:

@saloja.7920 said:

@Magek.4718 said:The correct name is obviously: Red Spotted BeetleThe spots are black though...

But the Beetle is red and it HAS spots. So it's a Red Beetle that is Spotted.

@Oglaf.1074 said:

@"Alga.6498" said:I like the "English" name of it too, but to me I will always say Ladybug, or in Swedish, "Nyckelpiga".Which makes no sense at all, ??

A straight off translate: Nyckelpiga - Keymaid?????

Oooohhh, I never knew about that and none have ever said about it, now I know why ?Thanks?

@"Blood Red Arachnid.2493" said:Personally I prefer ladybug, because I like how the word "buuuuuuuuug" sounds. All of this stuff about etymology and technicalities therein is just nitpicking.

Etymology and entomology are very different things.

@Steve The Cynic.3217 said:

@"Blood Red Arachnid.2493" said:Personally I prefer ladybug, because I like how the word "buuuuuuuuug" sounds. All of this stuff about

etymology

and technicalities therein is just nitpicking.

Except for the study of Silverfish that eat only dictionaries. ;)

@Steve The Cynic.3217 said:

@"Blood Red Arachnid.2493" said:Personally I prefer ladybug, because I like how the word "buuuuuuuuug" sounds. All of this stuff about

etymology

and technicalities therein is just nitpicking.

We're talking about the name, not the insect itself. Etymology is the correct term.

Etymology and Enomology. Two new words i just learned because of an online game forum.. thanks guys!

@Steve The Cynic.3217 said:

@"Blood Red Arachnid.2493" said:Personally I prefer ladybug, because I like how the word "buuuuuuuuug" sounds. All of this stuff about

etymology

and technicalities therein is just nitpicking.

Strangely both apply...Etymology is the study of the origin of words, and entomology the study of Arthropods.