Another term for moth is miller or dusty miller, so named the powdery wings of these insects recall the image of a miller — someone who grinds grain — covered in flour. That’s also the inspiration behind the name of the dusty miller plant. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Dusty Miller”
You’re listening to A Way with Words, the show about language and how we use it.
I’m Grant Barrett.
And I’m Martha Barnette.
We got a voicemail from Denise Nyland from Panama City, Florida, and she was asking about a term that she grew up with for moths.
Moths, like the little fluttery things.
Yeah, the little fluttery things.
Nighttime butterflies, some people call them.
Oh, really? That’s nice.
So what’s her word for moths?
Miller.
Oh, this is familiar. Why is this familiar? M-I-L-L-E-R.
-huh.
Okay.
Yeah.
They called moths millers where she grew up and she wondered if anybody else did.
And indeed, plenty of people refer to moths as millers.
But here’s the really cool thing.
Why?
Why?
Why do they do that?
I bet you know.
I do know.
And it’s so great.
You’re bouncing in your chair.
It’s so great.
I mean, I’m picturing, you know, being on the front porch down there in Florida.
And you got the light bulb, you know, the one light bulb hanging down, and there are all these moths there.
But think about it.
The moths have these soft wings, and they’re kind of dusty, right?
They’re kind of powdery.
Moths have been called millers since the 17th century, and that’s because if you were a miller in the 17th century, you had a mill and you were grinding wheat, you’re going to get dusty and powdery.
Right.
And it’s the same idea.
Oh, it’s the dustiness of the moths.
Isn’t that cool?
How about that?
Yeah, that’s beautiful, too.
Yeah, and some people, in fact, call those moths Dusty Millers, and that’s when I had a light bulb moment because I realized that the plant Dusty Miller, which is this beautiful sort of silvery gray plant, kind of filigree leaves, is called Dusty Miller because it’s dusty like a Miller.
Oh, oh.
Isn’t that cool?
I always thought it was called that because there was some botanist named Dusty whose last name was Miller.
But no, it’s like a little Dusty Miller.
It’s somebody who grinds flour.
That’s gorgeous.
How about that?
Wow.
Yeah, stories everywhere you look, right?
Everywhere.
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