Molly Moo-cow

If you’re passionate about pollinators, then you probably know that butterflies love milkweed.

Photo by Barnes Dr Thomas G, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, via Wikimedia Commons

But here’s a trickier bit of trivia:

Why are butterflies called butter flies?

(As a Butters, I simply had to know.)

Butterflies, it is said, earned their name back when they would flutter around the milk pails and butter churns on farms.

milkmaid, G. Morland via Wikimedia Commons

Makes sense, but also makes you wonder why these aren’t called milklappers (buckettippers?) …

Photo by David Maitland via Wikimedia Commons

Anymoooo …

Here’s a cute 1935 classic called “Molly Moo-Cow and the Butterflies,” just for fun:

  1. Winnie Nielsen says:

    I love this old cartoon. The music is wonderful and it seems that the art graphics are superior to what I see today in cartoons. Maybe it is my age showing? Our butterflies down here also love the Pentas.

  2. Krista says:

    I like knowing how butterflies got there names! It’s such a simple explanation.
    The cartoon was so cute and fun to watch. Oh how I wish cartoons were still like this! I love how basic they were.

  3. Bobbi Joseph says:

    What fun to watch! Thank you.

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