Rayetta's Butterflies - Some Etymology

The fore feet are without tarsal claws, and hence the name “Brush-footed Butterflies” has been applied to them.

Hmmm. So why are the Nymphalidae spelled as brush-footed, again?

The fore feet are without tarsal claws, and hence the name “Brush-footed Butterflies” has been applied to them.

So, anybody lacking tarsal claws on the fore foot or feet, may be termed brush-footed. Sorry, Dr. Holland, you have lost me. Anyway, I know what Dr. Holland was trying to spell, maybe. The fore legs of Nymphalids resemble eyebrow brushes. Hence, brush-footed. Either that, or they like to stand on brush utilizing their four functional feet.

Having discovered, perhaps, the meaning of brush-foot, the vulgar term for the Nymphalidae, I shall review the etymology of butterfly. I’ll e-mail Ms. Merriam Webster, the Tabby Lab librarian.

Yoohoo, Ms. Merriam. What is the etymology of butterfly, ASAP?

Thanks,

Rayetta Pistrum, LDR, Ph.D.

Later.

Rayetta,

What does ASAP stand for, dear? Let me guess. How about, as stupid as possible. Do you think, young lady, that I shall drop everything, here at the Tabby Lab, to answer your e-mail.

Ms. Merriam Webster
Curator of Spell Patterns
Druid Tabby Lab

Well I never! The nerve of that woman. Hmmm. I shall tell on her. I shall copy my request, plus Ms. Merriam’s impolite and unprofessional response to Badgemagus Swineherd, Ph.D., president of our bucolic Druid college, the Tabby Lab.

Ah, the wonder of instant messaging. Here we go. That was quick. Ha! Dr. Swineherd has already gotten back to me.

To whomever,

I shall be out of the office for a fortnight or twain. If your panties are wadded up in emergency mode and you just can not wait a fortnight or twain, contact Ms. Merriam Webster.

Dr. Badgemagus Swineherd
President and Presiding Senior Know-It-All
Druid Tabby Lab

Darn it! This is infuriating. Those academic types! Well, la-de-da. Hmmm. Where’s Crumby? Crumby always has etymology opinions. Crumby! Get in here!

Ye maam. I have, heeding your cry, come along in great haste, sore feet and all. How may I be of service, lovely druidess?

What is the etymology of butterfly, Crumby?

Er. It is well known, Rayetta, that many are capable of transmigrations to this or that form, a form so unlike their usual form, that those that do the transformations are disguised, often cleverly, so that in such and such disguise they are mistaken for someone or something else. Like say I want to attend a poop party, Rayetta. But everyone would spell, Crumby, Druid Ovates do not go to poop parties. It is beneath the dignity of Druid Ovates to attend poop parties. Besides, poop parties are nasty.

So if I really wanted to go to a poop party, I might do a transformation and change my appearance into that of a more humble animal that might normally be espied, enjoying a poop party, for example, a butterfly.

Generally, those butterflies at the poop parties I have attended are Nymphalids, also known as the brush-footed butterflies. Their front pair of legs are dainty, so that the Nymphlids may easily fold them up to keep them out of the poop. That way, only the beak and the four other legs are in actual contact with the poop. Neither do the wings make much contact with the poop. Those four wings may be held up vertically so that they do not drag in the poop. Yet, of course, sometimes a great weariness may steal over the average Nymphalid butterfly so that those wings may droop in the poop, anyway.

Achtung Crumby! I have not got, all day. Do you have an opinion on the etymology of butterfly, or not?

Well I have been thinking about that very topic as we discourse here, Rayetta. As you may know yourself, Rayetta, slang is the typical common parlance among the vulgar. Long ago, a vulgar swineherd, noting that the terminal end of his charges was where the poop was emanating from, decided to henceforth spell that terminal end, butt. Then, logically, any organism attracted to the poop that emanated from the butt, henceforth from that day on, was spelled, butter. Therefore, if that organism flew to the butt, that organism was henceforth spelled, butter fly. Course, that is only my opinion.

Never mind, Crumby. Ms. Merriam has e-mailed me back again. Hmmm. Let’s see what that old hagling has to say for herself.

Rayetta,

As you have doubtless discovered by now, I, Ms. Merriam Webster, am in administrative charge of the Tabby Lab while Badgemagus is off faunching around. Yes, Badgmagus is off on a collecting trip. Go ahead, Rayetta, try to contact Badgemagus. You might try his cell phone. Ha, ha, ha!

Ms. Merriam Webster
Curator of Spell Patterns
Druid Tabby Lab

Well, I never. This is outrageous. That old hagling has had plenty of time to look up the etymology of butterfly for me. The proof of that is, these twain insulting e-mails. Well, we shall soon see about this.

Er, Rayetta.

What is it now, Crumby?

When Ray and me have to find out something, like maybe an etymology, Ms. Merriam always makes us look it up ourselves.

Oh she does, does she! Then what does Ms. Merriam do with all her free time? Hmmm. She probably takes an epsom salt bath, or has her toe nails polished, while you and Ray or doing her job for her. We shall soon see about all this!

I know Rayetta. We can take a trip over to the Tabby Lab. I can look up the etymology of butterfly, while you see to Ms. Merriam.

Good idea, Crumby. We shall take the great vehicle. Lomo can drive. I shall ride shotgun. You Crumby, can sit in the back seat with Lometa. Won’t that be fun!

But Rayetta, if I have to sit in the back seat with Lometa, she’ll pester me.

Never mind that, Crumby. We have a plan. Anon, Ms. Merriam shall discover the true meaning of cause and effect.