Why are they named Daddy Long Legs?

My guess is that only the males walk around. Female spiders probably make a web and subsist only on the males after mating.

Sugar Daddy Long Legs? Haha

There is some etymology about it in this Reddit post, but it doesn’t so much as explain it, rather than tells how it was called Father Long Legs, much earlier, then transitioned to Daddy Long Legs.

I have done some searching, but most sites just describe what the insect is, rather than telling where the Father or Daddy name got attached to this bug, which is an arachnid, but not a spider.

Hope that helps, Daddio ; )

https://www.reddit.com/r/etymology/comments/2dgvv4/what_is_the_etymology_of_the_phrase_daddy/

Because I’m kinky

I always assumed they were called that because, in proportion to the size of their legs, and overall size compared to most other spiders, LOOK at the SIZE of THOSE LEGS!” ;-)

In the US, a harvestman is called daddy longlegs. Subsequently, a daddy longlegs is called a harvestman. (No other information available.)
Perhaps it could be because a harvestman would wear pants with tight legs to help keep out chaff, dirt, ticks, fleas, mice, other varmints, therefor giving an image of having exceptionally long legs. Just a guess, this last part.

Have you ever come upon a nest of them? The nest just pulses. It’s mooky.

One time I yelled for Rick to save me because there was a Daddy Long Legs on the bathroom wall. Rick came in, peered at it, and said, “Yep, there is!” and walked out of the bathroom. The harmless little guy just wandered all over the house. We named him, but I don’t remember what the name was.

@Kardamom I saw that link when trying to do a search. Interesting stuff. Though wish there were more search results. Especially the Father Long Legs part.

@SergeantQueen Ha! Have that in my topics. :P

@Zaku Haha…yes. The long legs part of the name totally makes sense. :)

@kritiper I was wondering if the Daddy was a nod to the gendered harvestman term. Though I didn’t know that about harvestman. Though that makes sense.

@Dutchess_III Yikes. Do not want to read nest and pulse in the same sentence!

Sweet Dreams. (BTW, I just learned they are NOT spiders! See video.)

(I know! Weird right? See topics.)

I missed the topics!

I miss them a lot too!