Animals, Insects, & Birds Slang, Jargon, and New Words from Double-Tongued Dictionary

Citations in the Category Animals, Insects, & Birds

Non-plant life forms other than humans: wildlife, domesticated creatures, insects, fish, shellfish, mammals, birds, pets, etc. You can also see entries assigned to this category.

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bully whippet n. When mutant, muscle-bound puppies started showing up in litters of champion racing whippets, the breeders of the normally sleek dogs invited scientists to take DNA samples at race meets here and across the country. They hoped to find a genetic cause for the condition and a way to purge it from the breed. It worked. “Bully whippets,” as the heavyset dogs are known, turn out to have a genetic mutation that enhances muscle development. And breeders may not want to eliminate the “bully” gene after all. [English Animals, Insects, & Birds] [full cite] (Jun. 12, 2007)

bumblebeetle n. In 200 million years, evolution brings bizarre animals like “flish,” birds that evolved from fish; “bumblebeetles,” beetles that fly; and “megasquid,” multi-ton, land-based squid creatures. [English Animals, Insects, & Birds Biology] [full cite] (May. 4, 2005)

bummer n. Sometimes, in spite of all our encouragement, a ewe will refuse to accept her lamb.…Some people call the rejects pet lambs, but other shepherds—including us—refer to them as bummers. Sure, they’re cute when they follow you everywhere, but the toddlers are also real nuisances to any busy farmer! [English Animals, Insects, & Birds] [full cite] (Jun. 24, 2005)

bumping n. The indictments of 50 adults last month stemmed from an undercover infiltration of a sophisticated dogfighting ring that planned fights six to eight weeks in advance. But the crime is more commonly found here among kids or young adults who spontaneously engage in the activity—referred to as “bumping”—on street corners, in parks or near school grounds, Smith said. [English Animals, Insects, & Birds Pastimes & Hobbies Slang] [full cite] (Dec. 4, 2008)

buncher n. Many of the animals in such ads end up with hoarders and puppy mills, used as bait for training fighting dogs, or “adopted” by “bunchers.” A “buncher” is someone who collects animals to sell to research facilities. [English Animals, Insects, & Birds] [full cite] (Jan. 29, 2006)

butter butts n. Audubon warblers, the Western form of the yellow-rumped warbler, also were moving through in large numbers early last week. These blue and yellow warblers are affectionately called “butter butts” by many birders due to their flashing yellow rump patch, which is so visible as they flit away from you. [English Animals, Insects, & Birds Colloquial] [full cite] (May. 25, 2007)

butterball n. “One-armed bandits” is another name for fiddler crabs, and “butterballs” are better known as mole crabs or sand fleas. [ Language English Subject Animals, Insects, & Birds Food & Drink] [full cite] (Oct. 27, 2005)

buzzworm n. Being in the sun, perhaps the bike path was too warm for this 30-inch buzzworm, a pit viper species common to California and known to biologists and Latin scholars as Crotalus viridis oreganos, or Northern Pacific Rattlesnake. [English Animals, Insects, & Birds Slang] [full cite] (Jan. 17, 2009)

by catch n. It is estimated that Dirty Fishing, also known as “by catch,” results in the accidental death and waste of 44 million pounds of sea life worldwide every year, though exact figures in the U.S. are difficult to come by. [English Animals, Insects, & Birds Crime & Prisons Environment] [full cite] (Sep. 30, 2004)

canine v. He stopped and peed on a cedar tree. This is “canine-ing”—being a regular dog. And it’s not allowed. He sniffed around under a log. [English Animals, Insects, & Birds] [full cite] (May. 22, 2006)

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