1998-11-01 09:00:00+01 by Dan Lyke 0 comments
That'll teach me to believe the 'net: So http://www.flutterby.org/ (that other Flutterby domain) claims that "The oldest English word for butterfly is flutterby" and I've been blithely repeating this. Alas, the OED reports:
"cf. Dutch botervlieg, earlier botervlieghe, mod.G. butterfliege. The reason of the name is unknown: Wedgwood points out a Dutch synonym boterschijte in Kilian, which suggests that the insect was so called from the appearance of its excrement."
On second thought, maybe I like the wrong version better...