For some odd reason I was thinking of Alice in Wonderland yesterday, and my attention became stuck on the caterpillar. What an odd word!
As it turns out, it's late Middle English, possibly from a variant of Old French chatepelose, literally "hairy cat." The association with cats occurs in other European languages, such as Swiss German's Teufelkatz, meaning "devil's cat."
Caterpillar
- Slava
- Great Grand Panjandrum
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Re: Caterpillar
According to dictionary.com, there is a second meaning, of which I never had a clue: "a person who preys on others; extortioner." Wow!
That is the only place I found on the internot that mentions the idea, though.
Turning to my real books I found: "An envious person who does mischief without provocation," and "One who preys upon the substance of another; an extortioner".
That is the only place I found on the internot that mentions the idea, though.
Turning to my real books I found: "An envious person who does mischief without provocation," and "One who preys upon the substance of another; an extortioner".
Life is like playing chess with chessmen who each have thoughts and feelings and motives of their own.
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