Table 2 Proverbs and common sayings referring to Invertebrata
Latin name, proper name (serial number in the Appendix) | Proverbs, their meanings and explanations |
|---|---|
Coccinella septempunctata seven-spot ladybird (21) | We said to it: ladybug, where do you take me to get married? Then we married in the direction where it flew. |
Vernacular prophecy. | |
Planorbidae (excl. Ferrissia, Ancylus, Hebetancylus) e.g. Planorbis planorbis ramshorn snails (23) | If the snail climbs up from water onto something, it means the flood is coming. |
Vernacular prophecy. | |
Gastropoda (excl. slugs) e.g. Zebrina detrita snails (25) | Snail. This is the strongest animal carrying its house on its shoulder. |
Joking comparison frequently quoted to kids. | |
Ixodes spp. e.g. Ixodes ricinus ticks (28) | You’re like a tick. |
Said mostly to kids with an affectionate joking gesture because of their attachment. | |
gossamer air-threads (44) | There will be no rain because it stretches. |
Vernacular weather forecast. | |
Microtrombidium pusillum dwarf velvet mite (46) | Shine, sun, shine, Jesus’ lamb is freezing to death under the gardens. And then the Sun shone. |
A superstition wishing to change the weather. | |
Oecanthus pellucens Italian tree cricket (55) | Autumn is here because the cricket chirps, saying ’gather, gather’. |
Wisdom based on observations impersonating the species. | |
Gryllus campestris field cricket (61) | You could not put down your clothing in the grass because old people said: the cricket would gnaw a hole in it. |
Might be a belief. | |
Gryllus campestris field cricket (61) | If you draw a cross on the back of a cricket, it would not jump any more. |
Fun for kids based on belief. | |
Pyrrhocoris apterus firebug (64) | They stick together like the firebug. |
The firebug (Pyrrhocoris apterus) can be seen in dense masses in springtime. | |
Lytta vesicatoria Spanish fly (86) | The ash tree is stinky, it will rain. |
Prophecy connected to Spanish fly invasion. | |
Melolontha melolontha cockchafer (88) | If there are too many maybeetles, corn yields will be good. |
Maybe vernacular experience or possibly only a belief. | |
Cerambyx cerdo great capricorn beetle (90) | Your moustache stands up like that of a capricorn beetle. |
An analogy on the long moustache bending upwards. | |
Apis mellifera and Araneae European honey bee (113), spiders (34) | Bees collect honey, spiders poison from the same flower. |
Meaning of the proverb: there is no universal truth. | |
winged ant castes (120) e.g. Tetramorium caespitum | When the winged ant comes out, it will rain. |
Vernacular weather forecast. | |
Tetramorium caespitum and similar species pavement ant (124) | Be like the ant and work! |
Ants were considered ‘diligent’ animals (busy as an ant). | |
Vespa crabro European hornet (127) | Nine hornet bites kill a horse. |
Based on real observation, augmented to mythical heights (9 is a mythical number in Shamanism). | |
Vespula vulgaris and similar species common wasp (128) | Yellow wasp, small wasp, large wasp, they all scratch on a bunch of grapes. |
Pun made of a vernacular observation. | |
Andricus hungaricus Hungarian gall wasp (132) | My mother made us thrown them away. You must not keep it at the house because brood will not hatch the eggs. |
Belief says it prevents brooding of the hen. | |
Lepidoptera e.g. Melitaea athalia butterflies (135) | The superstition was that if you see a yellow butterfly in spring, you would fall ill. If you see a red one, you will remain healthy and fall in love, if a black one, someone would die. |
Vernacular prophecy. The yellow butterfly may be Gonopteryx rhamni, red ones may be several other species. | |
Lepidoptera e.g. Melitaea athalia butterflies (135) | Even the mottled butterfly came from a caterpillar. |
You do not necessarily worth more just because of your better appearance or even something ugly may become beautiful one day. | |
Saturnia pyri giant peacock moth (151) | The boszorkánylepke (witch butterfly) were nailed above the door for superstition. |
It was used as a superstitious protection against the Devil. | |
Drosophila spp. e.g. Drosophila melanogaster fruit flies (159) | Fruit flies cause the wine to ferment. |
In their opinion the presence of fruit flies cause the wine to ferment. | |
Drosophila spp. e.g. Drosophila melanogaster fruit flies (159) | The man from Vörösmart swallowed the frog; he thought it was a fruit fly. |
Mocking a village. | |
Tipula spp. e.g. Tipula maxima crane flies (160) | We stroke the mosquito king to death; there will be no mosquitos now. |
The Tipula species which are much greater than biting mosquitos but are related to them are presented by the saying as a kind of king. | |
Musca domestica housefly (169) | Noah wanted to chase them out from the Bark. He could not. Well, fly, then. He said. And the name stuck. |
Folk etymology for the name of the fly. He blames Noah for the existence of flies. Légy in Hungarian also means: be (you should exist). | |
Musca domestica housefly (169) | If flies bite, rain comes. |
Vernacular weather forecast. | |
Pediculus humanus capitis head louse (191) | It’s not a shame to get it, only to keep it. |
Educating saying on responsibility. | |
Haematopinus suis hog louse (193) | You can find a louse only in a good hog. |
In their opinion louses occur on healthy pigs only. | |
Odonata e.g. Sympetrum sanguineum dragonflies (207–208) | Where there are dragonflies, there are no snakes. |
It was held that wherever a dragonfly hovers over the water there will be no snakes in it. |