"Love bug"

[Garson O'Toole]

Wilson Gray wrote:
> I've always understood "love bug" to refer to a mythical insect whose
> bite causes a person - will-he, nill-he - to fall in love. A popular
> R&B song of my youth discussed this very phenomenon.
>
> However, as my wife uses the term, "love bug" refers to a being, human
> or otherwise, that desires and enjoys "loving," i.e. being fondled,
> stroked, petted, tickled, etc. She often applies it to our kitties.

Wilson: There is evidence that "love bug" was used in the way you
suggest as early as 1883:

Cite: 1883, Chained Lightning by Ike Philkins, The Funny Man of the
Austin (Texas) Statesman, (Princeton catalog lists the author as
William A. Bowen), The Science of Love, Page 28, J.S. Ogilvie & Co.,
New York. (Google Books full view)

A scientist has been analyzing love lately, and discovered that it is
a disease, a madness--brought about by a little parasite, or love bug,
named bacillus microccus. We are somewhat of a scientist ourselves,
and immediately sent off for a few eggs of the love bug, so that we
could raise some in order to give a few men and women of this city a
strong case of bacillus microccus.

http://books.google.com/books?id=WpcVAAAAYAAJ&q=%22love+bug%22#v=snippet&


Here is an example of "love bug" used informally in the health
community in 1912 with another meaning:

Cite: 1912 December, State of New York Annual Health Report: Report of
Proceedings of the Twelfth Annual Conference of the Sanitary Officers
of the State of New York, Syracuse, New York, December 4,5,6, 1912.,
"The Control of Syphilis and Gonorrhea - What the Municipality Can Do"
by Powhatan S. Schenck, M.D., Page 1042, Published by New York
(State). Board of Health. (Google Books full view)

When a sailor reports himself at the Station as having been bitten by
the "love bug," and he is required by naval law to do this, under
penalty of 60 days in the brig on bread and water, and a fine equal to
60 days' pay, the Naval authorities at the Station send an orderly
over with the infected man to the health department; we then send an
officer and physician with the party to the house to identify the
woman. She is examined and treated accordingly.


Here is an OED (November 2010) definition with a first citation given in 1937:

love bug n. U.S. a dark-coloured fly, Plecia nearctica (family
Bibionidae), widespread across the southern U.S., which at certain
times of the year forms large swarms of mating pairs; cf. March fly n.
1.


Here is a 2007 instance similar to your wife's usage:

Cite: 2007, The Cat Behavior Answer Book by Arden Moore, Page 88,
Storey Publishing. (Google Books preview)

Alexis may come around and turn into a cuddly love bug who will
request that you shower her with friendly petting, even on her belly.
If not, just understand that some cats have certain areas where they
don't like being touched.

http://books.google.com/books?id=SMquy0Qprx0C&q=%22love+bug%22#v=snippet&

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