They're not ladies and they're not birds; they're not even technically bugs! But that's not the most surprising thing about ladybirds/ladybugs and their brilliant variety of names. Tamsin Majerus AKA Dr Ladybird explains why ladybirds are so great; and Johanna Mayer and Elah Feder of the podcast Science Diction, about words and the science stories behind them, consider what's in a (ladybird) name.

This episode is one half of a collaboration with Science Diction, so go to their feed to listen to their episode It’ll Never Fly, where they set me a quiz about the outlandish and intriguing names given to fruitfly genes.

There's more about this episode, and a transcript, at theallusionist.org/ladybird.

The music is by Martin Austwick. Hear Martin’s own songs at palebirdmusic.com or search for Pale Bird on Bandcamp and Spotify, and he’s @martinaustwick on Twitter and Instagram. 

Sign up to be a patron at patreon.com/allusionist and as well as supporting the show, you get discounted tickets to the upcoming Allusionist live show on 4 September 2021, plus the story of my all too brief spell of having a loveliness of pet ladybirds.

The Allusionist's online home is theallusionist.org. Stay in touch at twitter.com/allusionistshow, facebook.com/allusionistshow and instagram.com/allusionistshow.

They're not ladies and they're not birds; they're not even technically bugs! But that's not the most surprising thing about ladybirds/ladybugs and their brilliant variety of names. Tamsin Majerus AKA <a href="twitter.com/dr_Ladybird">Dr Ladybird</a> explains why ladybirds are so great; and Johanna Mayer and Elah Feder of the podcast <a href="https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/science-diction">Science Diction</a>, about words and the science stories behind them, consider what's in a (ladybird) name.
This episode is one half of a collaboration with Science Diction, so go to their feed to listen to their episode <a href="https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/science-diction/articles/whats-in-a-fruit-fly-gene-name">It’ll Never Fly</a>, where they set me a quiz about the outlandish and intriguing names given to fruitfly genes.
There's more about this episode, and a transcript, at <a href="theallusionist.org/ladybird">theallusionist.org/ladybird</a>.
The music is by Martin Austwick. Hear Martin’s own songs at <a href="http://palebirdmusic.com">palebirdmusic.com </a>or search for Pale Bird on Bandcamp and Spotify, and he’s @martinaustwick on Twitter and Instagram. 
Sign up to be a patron at <a href="http://patreon.com/allusionist">patreon.com/allusionist</a> and as well as supporting the show, you get discounted tickets to the upcoming Allusionist live show on 4 September 2021, plus the story of my all too brief spell of having a loveliness of pet ladybirds.
The Allusionist's online home is <a href="http://theallusionist.org/">theallusionist.org</a>. Stay in touch at <a href="http://twitter.com/allusionistshow">twitter.com/allusionistshow</a>, <a href="http://facebook.com/allusionistshow">facebook.com/allusionistshow</a> and <a href="http://instagram.com/allusionistshow">instagram.com/allusionistshow</a>.

Adventures in language with Helen Zaltzman. TheAllusionist.org

Adventures in language with Helen Zaltzman

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