Umm… nope. Nothing to do with gender, everything to do with religion. The name ‘ladybug’ is used almost exclusively in North America, and mostly in the middle part of North America, the part north of Mexico and south of Canada. Elsewhere in the English-speaking world it’s ‘ladybird’. And it’s a beetle, not a bug, there’s a difference. The name comes from the red wing casings. Many early pious paintings had Mary, mother of God, wearing a red cloak (her colours are now blue and gold, hence the colours worn by a certain university in Indiana’s sports teams) and the seven spots on the seven-spot ladybird beetle (the most common one in Britain) symbolised her, ahem, ‘seven joys and seven sorrows’. The full name used to be “Our Lady’s bird”, indicating that Englishmen had problems telling the difference between birds and beetles. ‘Ladybird’ is also the name of a very popular brand of children’s books, symbolised by a stylised four-spot ladybird beetle..
Liverlips McCracken Premium Member almost 6 years ago
Yes, I’m afraid you’ve been stereotyped.
fuzzbucket Premium Member almost 6 years ago
So now you get in trouble just for assuming you know someone’s sex?
almost 6 years ago
Or, in this case, a manbug.
Painted Wolf almost 6 years ago
Umm… nope. Nothing to do with gender, everything to do with religion. The name ‘ladybug’ is used almost exclusively in North America, and mostly in the middle part of North America, the part north of Mexico and south of Canada. Elsewhere in the English-speaking world it’s ‘ladybird’. And it’s a beetle, not a bug, there’s a difference. The name comes from the red wing casings. Many early pious paintings had Mary, mother of God, wearing a red cloak (her colours are now blue and gold, hence the colours worn by a certain university in Indiana’s sports teams) and the seven spots on the seven-spot ladybird beetle (the most common one in Britain) symbolised her, ahem, ‘seven joys and seven sorrows’. The full name used to be “Our Lady’s bird”, indicating that Englishmen had problems telling the difference between birds and beetles. ‘Ladybird’ is also the name of a very popular brand of children’s books, symbolised by a stylised four-spot ladybird beetle..
Sailor46 USN 65-95 almost 6 years ago
I don’t assume very often, because most often I just don’t care.
sarahbowl1 Premium Member almost 6 years ago
Kenny, you are so funny!
heathcliff2 almost 6 years ago
Beautiful ladybug.
nonyabuisness over 1 year ago
Yeah. Yeah, he assumed all right. cry him a river.