daddy-longlegs
Leggy cellar dweller
Daddy-longlegs refers to different creatures depending on where you are.
In North America, it usually means a harvestman—an arachnid with a compact body and extremely long, threadlike legs, often seen in gardens and basements.
In Britain, it typically means a crane fly, a gangly flying insect that resembles an oversized mosquito.
Both share the distinctive spindly legs that give the name its charm.
Web-spinning arachnid
- harvestmanLong-legged arachnid, not spider
- arthropodJointed-limb invertebrate phylum
- invertebrateAnimal sans backbone
- exoskeletonExternal skeletal structure
cobweb · spinnerets · segmented · gangly · spindly · creepy-crawly · houseguest · nocturnal
Thin and fragile-looking
- ganglyAwkwardly tall and thin
- stiltedUnnaturally formal in expression
- lankyTall and ungainly thin
- wispyThin and insubstantial
threadlike · delicate · fragile · gossamer · jointed · angular · ungainly · knobby
Baseless belief in omens
- mythTraditional explanatory tale
- misconceptionErroneous belief or understanding
- childhoodLife's earliest phase
- fearEmotional response to threat
phobia · arachnophobia · creepy · spooky · mysterious · misidentified · nickname
Not harmful or threatening
- gentleSoft and kind
- nonvenomousProducing no poison
- innocuousCausing no harm
- docileEasily controlled or taught
unthreatening · friendly · beneficial · pest-control · misunderstood · safe · mild · peaceful
spider
Web-spinning arachnid
- harvestmanLong-legged arachnid, not spider
- arthropodJointed-limb invertebrate phylum
- invertebrateAnimal sans backbone
exoskeleton · cobweb · spinnerets · segmented · gangly · spindly · creepy-crawly · houseguest · nocturnal · predator
spindly
Thin and fragile-looking
wispy · threadlike · delicate · fragile · gossamer · jointed · angular · ungainly · knobby · elongated
superstition
Baseless belief in omens
- mythTraditional explanatory tale
- misconceptionErroneous belief or understanding
- childhoodLife's earliest phase
fear · phobia · arachnophobia · creepy · spooky · mysterious · misidentified · nickname
benign
Not harmful or threatening
- gentleSoft and kind
- nonvenomousProducing no poison
- innocuousCausing no harm
docile · unthreatening · friendly · beneficial · pest-control · misunderstood · safe · mild · peaceful · household
daddy-longlegstick
Parasitic eight-legged pest
mite · crab spider · trapdoor spider · jumping spider · tarantula
daddy-longlegsblack widow
Lethal spider species
brown recluse · redback spider · scorpion · tarantula · wolf spider
daddy, longlegs, dads, daddies, long, longer, longest, longish, lengthy