[mesmark]

I'm originally from the southern part of the US. There many people call fireflies lightning bugs. Is that colloquial to that region only? Does anyone else say lightning bug?

[susan53]

I've only ever heard lightning bug in an American context. In British English it's certainly firefly.

[mesmark]

Thanks Sue.

Do other Americans use firefly or lightning bug?

Aussies?

[susan53]

It just occurred to me that I'd seen a blog post on lightning bugs the other day. I checked and it's written by a Chicago blogger, which might mean it's used generally in American English - ??

[DaveESL]

I'm an American, from Boston originally, but also St. Louis. I say firefly, but folks in St. Louis *might* say lightning bug.

[HUE]

I'm from Chicago, and we used both. I think that I probably would tend towards "lightning bug," though.

Mark, where are you from? Is it the midwest/south, or is it the deep south? You could probably group regions together by who settled there. This might explain why you and I both say "lighting bug," but come from different areas back home.

[mesmark]

I'm originally from Oklahoma and in OK I know they use lightning bug and sometimes firefly. In high school I moved to Connecticut and I believe they used firefly but I can't really remember.

In general Oklahoma is concidered the south, but I wouldn't say deep.

[HUE]

This is from Dictionary.com:

Although firefly remains the literary and formal word, lightning bug is the term used by the majority of Americans for the slow-moving flying insect that flashes in the dark. Nearly 80 percent of those interviewed for the Dictionary of American Regional English volunteered lightning bug, while not quite 30 percent said firefly (including those who said both). Only in the northernmost states, especially New England, and along the Pacific coast, does firefly hold its own with lightning bug. Bug itself is nowadays an American term; since the 18th century, the British have preferred insect.

Thorough, perhaps pedantic, but interesting.