Fear of spiders.

[footfootfoot]

See? You kids have a lot in common. Infi, why don't you show Classic your collection of hobos?

[classicman]

The worst is when someone says "Eww, there's a spider on your ____
"FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK KILL IT! KILL IT! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"
While doing that strange dance.

[infinite monkey]

I've started it raining with that dance!

[Pico and ME]

If...I mean, whenever I am surprised by a spider, I scream bloody murder. For two seconds. And then make that "oo.oo..oo..oo..oo..oo" sound for a few more. But then, I do kill it. I have no problems attacking a spider. I am quite practical after all. But damn, do I ever scream first. I am always astonished by it's inevitability and ferocity.

Daddy long legs don't bother me in the least bit, however. In fact, I think they are cute.

Go figure.

[infinite monkey]

I'm the same about Daddy Long Legs. They are cute.

They're not spiders, they're harvestmen. A fine distinction, but even as a kid I noted it. (And as a kid I called them Granddaddy Long Legs for some reason.)

Plus, I don't think they tend to sneak into your house. DLLs seem perfectly content to stay outside. I don't think I've ever seen one crawling around my house. Weird.

[Sundae]

Originally Posted by infinite monkey

I'm the same about Daddy Long Legs. Plus, I don't think they tend to sneak into your house. DLLs seem perfectly content to stay outside. I don't think I've ever seen one crawling around my house. Weird.

Oh no no no no!

We might be talking about different creatures here.
The ones in this country are as attracted to lights as moths.
They flock into my bedroom as I am the last one awake and invariably have my windows open.

This leads to much jollity as Diz needs to swear at them and then try to catch them. Playing Hannibal over the Alps on my mostly naked body.

And of course I feel guilty for perverting a DLL's natural instinct to head for the moon with my dirty modern light. But it's free protein for the Diz. I consider my scratches as payment.

[footfootfoot]

Originally Posted by infinite monkey

I'm the same about Daddy Long Legs. They are cute.

They're not spiders, they're harvestmen.

From wikipedia:

Although they belong to the class of arachnids, harvestmen are not spiders, which are of the order Araneae rather than the order Opiliones.
In some places, harvestmen are known by the name "daddy longlegs" or "granddaddy longlegs", but this name is also used for two other unrelated arthropods: the crane fly (Tipulidae) and the cellar spider (Pholcidae).

Well, I guess that settles it.
(embiggening mine)

[Happy Monkey]

Originally Posted by infinite monkey

Plus, I don't think they tend to sneak into your house. DLLs seem perfectly content to stay outside. I don't think I've ever seen one crawling around my house. Weird.

Their leg configuration doesn't lend itself to creeping through cracks in houses, but canvas tents, like at a summer camp, frequently get DLL-piles in the corners.

[Pico and ME]

I saw one in my bathroom just the other day and I let it live.

[infinite monkey]

I've seen really spindly spiders in my shower...up in the corner. Shower spiders? Maybe related to harvestmen? They don't really bother me either. Their legs are barely as visible as one of my hairs.

Maybe I actually have desensitized myself a bit. After seeing the spiders in the deep south, maybe I got some perspective.

But those little jumping hairy spiders? SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEMMMMMMMMMMMMM.

[BrianR]

Sundae, you've almost got it.

Spiders go to lights because bugs go to lights. Spiders eat bugs. It's like a dinner bell to them!

[infinite monkey]

OMG I thought Gaines was obnoxious sounding. He just meows loud, but it doesn't sound like the baby from Eraserhead!

Hilarious.

Gotta be different on the bugs. Our DLLs aren't attracted to light. They're blind as...well, bats. And they have no wings at any time in their existence, unless there are little Wright Brothers Daddy Long Legs working on a flying machine.

So I found this picture in the UNcyclopedia...and this is NOT the same bug I'm talking about.

An actual non-jokey website calls them Crane Fly or Daddy Long Legs.

Our DLLs most decidedly do NOT have wings. Hang on, let me grab a pic of one of them too.

The web seems to confirm there are two bugs called DLL, one a crane fly, one a harvestmen...and the crane fly IS attracted to light.

[infinite monkey]

Spiders don't really chase bugs around. They build these things called 'webs' and wait for the bugs to entrap themselves.

[footfootfoot]

Originally Posted by infinite monkey

Spiders don't really chase bugs around. They build these things called 'webs' and wait for the bugs to entrap themselves.

So, then Al Gore is a spider?

[Sundae]

Blimey - lost in translation AGAIN!

You nailed the creature I meant though. Not literally, as they are completely harmless and just bumble about. Despite an urban myth that they are venomous but simply can't pierce human skin (thanks Ricky Gervais).

I'm sure that's not the original No Cat, but it will do.
If I'm saying no in a lighthearted manner (not when instructing a child about running with scissors for example) I often say it like that cat.

OHNONONONO....
It goes well with a shake of the head.

ETA - when I was cleaning the bookshelves at school at the end of last term I came across at least two species of biders I had never seen before. One spindly and one more compact. And both ALMOST TRANSPARENT! Lovely little things. The spindly one was so comical I doubt even a hardened arachnophobe could have been scared.

But I accidentally squashed one, it must have been on the box of books I pulled out and directly under my fat pink fingers.
Squish, crunch.
It waved two unbroken legs in despair, so I had to put it out of its misery.
I felt like Lady Macbeth