flutterbys

[Charles Doyle]

"Flutterby" is certainly a very common children's metathesis and folk etymologizing.  But it doesn't seem as if, prehistorically speaking, the more transparent form would have been altered so as to become less transparent.

--Charlie
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---- Original message ----
>Date: Thu, 19 Oct 2006 16:00:56 -0400
>From: George Thompson <george.thompson at NYU.EDU>
>Subject: flutterbys
>To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>
>
>A radio commercial for the NY State Lotteries is taking the theme of "amazing facts" (or some such).  At one part, the voice reads four or five names and states that they are the names of species of butterflies.  It next states that it is an amazing fact that butterflies were originally called flutterbys.
>
>This is a notion that isn't supported by the OED.  Nonetheless, it isn't original to the State Lottery bookies, either.  I've come upon it before.  And no doubt it's a prettier thought than the etymology endorsed half-heartedly by the OED, that "the insect was so called from the appearance of its excrement".
>
>GAT
>

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