Scobolotch is a term used in Wisconsin for the mayfly that may derived from a Native American language. Variants include scobblotcher and skoplotch. This short-lived insect goes by many other names, including Green Bay fly and Canadian soldier. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Scobolotch”
Hello, welcome to A Way with Words.
Hi, how are you? This is Scott Eppelman.
Hi, Scott. How are you doing?
Great.
What can we help you with?
I have a question about a term which I heard last summer. It’s a term for the mayfly. I own a small share of some family property on Lake Pepin, which is the Mississippi River near Stockholm, Wisconsin. And my family and I vacationed there during the summer of 2015, and while we were there, there was a mayfly hatch, which is quite an amazing thing to be part of. They’re in the air, clouds of them. It’s really quite amazing. They actually show up on local radar, and they appear as rain would.
Wow.
And my relatives, we spent some time with some cousins who were there, referred to the mayfly using a term I had never heard before or since. And it’s scapelage. And I was wondering if you had any history on that. And speaking to my cousins, they suspect that there could be a Native American connection. My great-grandpa Olaf was on pretty good terms with some local Indians there who were Chippewa. And so that’s the best we can come up with. But I’m wondering if you had any hard information.
Well, that’s a very good guess, and that’s the guess, anyway, in the Dictionary of American Regional English for this term. Usually you see it as scobolotch, S-C-O-B-O-L-O-T-C-H, or scoplotch, with a K. And, yeah, it’s a term for the mayfly that’s particular to that part of the country, and it may come from a Native American term, but we don’t know for sure.
Okay.
In Wisconsin as well, there’s the term Green Bay Fly. Maybe it’s because they’re so remarkable. They have lots and lots of different names.
Yeah, I think I counted 30 different names for them.
Yeah.
In Ohio, they’re known as Canadian soldiers.
I know that.
But this particular term, Skoplotch or Skabalotch, is only in Wisconsin and Minnesota, right?
Mm—
Wow.
Very interesting.
So that’s really the best we can do. Perhaps it comes from a Native American term. We don’t have another explanation for it.
Right.
It makes sense to me. But the odd sound of it is very non-English and doesn’t conform to German words or any Scandinavian words that we can find. And if it did come from a Native American term, it would be like a lot of other animal words in English, like moose and raccoon and skunk and possum.
Cool, Scott?
Yeah, thank you so much.
Thank you.
Thanks for calling. Really appreciate it.
Okay, take care.
Bye-bye.
One of the earliest uses of this term that I can find is from 1903, and I thought our military audience would appreciate this particular mention. Now remember, a scoplatch is a mayfly, and this is a very tiny fly. And this is from the St. Paul Globe in 1903. Sergeant Thomas Jefferson O’Leary, engineer company on a surveying detail, this morning discovered a scoplatch on the infantry flag at a distance of three miles. He was immediately detailed to remove the obstruction to the colors.
Right, so the idea is that the sergeant is so particular about keeping the flags pristine that even a mayfly that he sees at a distance of three miles must be removed.
Oh my goodness, that’s wonderful.
