ladybird瓢虫

【使用地区】：英国

【释义】：

The lady refers to“Our Lady，”the Virgin Mary，in whose honor the beneficial insect was named．These brightly colored beetles of the family Coccinellidae，which feed on aphids and other destructive garden pests，are known in America as ladybugs but in Britain as ladybirds，due to a British aversion to the word bug，which is strongly associated there with buggery，or sodomy．Some American Southerners favor the British version of the word．

lady指圣母玛利亚，这类益虫是为了纪念她而命名的。这些属Coccinellidae科的浅色瓢虫吃蚜虫和其他菜园里的害虫，在美国称为ladybugs，在英国称为ladybirds。这是因为英国人讨厌bug一词，在那里该词常使人联想到“鸡奸”。有些美国的南方人也喜欢英国的这种用法。