Question: How did the fly

[dolo amber]

get the distinction of getting to be called the "fly" considering the endless number of creatures that do fly? :shrug:

[Birthmark]

1. Good PR? n/t

no text

[newyawker99]

10. Congrats Birthmark!! 100 posts

A :toast: for your first milestone!! :-)

[5thGenDemocrat]

2. I have no idea

But flies take off backwards. If you want to impress your friends (well -- it impresses MY brain-dead friends) slap just behind the fly you're trying to kill. Works every time. Unless it's, like, a Kryptonian fly or something.
John
Wipe hands on pants. Repeat.

[oneighty]

5. Blue crabs do that too.

180

[BlueJazz]

13. Crabs Fly??

.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

3. Maybe because that is all it seems to do?

Other than eat shit that is.

[dolo amber]

4. I would think birds

would have been called a "fly" based on that logic...besides the fact that they're more obvious about it (more easily seen, anyway)...???

[GoddessOfGuinness]

6. Some flies pollinate flowers...

Of course, most of those flowers smell like shit or carrion.

[Exultant Democracy]

7. Ah man...

Now this is going to be stuck in my head till I look it up. Thanks a lot.

[dolo amber]

11. If you find a good answer

please, come back and share...I've been looking for days now, I was really hoping someone here would have it. It's making me crazy now, too. :(

[Bossy Monkey]

8. Are you sure you aren't mixing your entomology with your etymology?

According to the Amer. Heritage Collegiate Dictionary by way of bartleby.com, this goes back to the Indo-European:
II. Extended form *pleuk-. 1. fly1, from Old English flogan, to fly, from Germanic *fleugan, to fly. 2. fly2, from Old English floge, a fly, from Germanic *fleugn-, flying insect, fly

Offhand, I'd guess that the bug "fly" got the same name as the verb "fly" because it's the most consistently irritating flying beast. Squeaky wheel gets the verb sort of thing.

[mitchum]

9. "giraffe" was already taken

[dolo amber]

12. Kick

Cos I still don't have an answer :P

:kick:

[BlueJazz]

14. Wonder if there's any bugs...

...called a "walk" ?