Brits call them ladybirds, Americans call them ladybugs. What's up with this 'lady' thing, and how about the 'bird' part? They don't look like either birds or ladies. Where did this come from?

dan6and1

dan6and1 says: I did a little research on that because I had the same question. On site included this information: 'Many years ago, it was once believed that ladybugs came from heaven to save farmers' crops. The farmers called the insects 'the Beetle of Our Lady' or 'Virgin Mary's Gold Hens,' in dedication of the Virgin Mary.' http://www.discoverlearning.com/webjourneys/ladybugs/step2.html As to your question about the 'bird' part I don't know. The only explanation I could think of is that maybe since they have wings and can fly. Wed Apr 23 21:06:14 CDT 2003 (To fix link - McG) Apr 28 03, 8:39 AM

Lothruin

Lothruin says: I found a number of other sites that listed the 'Beetle of our Lady' answer to the ladybug question. The only reference I found to the bird part was at www.dictionary.com where it says that they were also called 'Bird of our Lady,' though no explanation is given. It also says they are called Ladyclocks, lady cows, lady flies, and lady beetles. Thu Apr 24 22:12:12 CDT 2003 (Edited content - McG) Apr 28 03, 8:40 AM