creature vs. critter

[James C Stalker]

I'll accept bugs as critters.  But my dog, a terrier mix, aka Benji, is a
critter as well.  A KY friend refers to his beagle as a critter too.  Big
bugs, I guess.

Jim

Duane Campbell writes:

> ----- Original Message -----
>
>> "Discover all there is to know about our prehistoric creatures and
>> critters - on _Paleoworld_!"
>>
>
>
> I'm not sure how wide spread it is, but Cornell entomology department (and
> I
> believe the practice originated there) uses the term "critters" to refer
> to
> bugs generically, arthropods, grouping insects, which are a particular
> type
> of bug, and spiders, which are another type. They can't use "bug" because
> that is aspecific type of insect.
>
> D
>



James C. Stalker
Department of English
Michigan State University