creepy-crawly

English

Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

Noun

creepy-crawly (plural creepy-crawlies)

1. (informal) Any small crawling animal such as a spider, insect or worm that is unpleasant.
   • 1919, Gerald Featherstone Knight, Brother Bosch: An Airman's Escape from Germany‎:

     Mattresses were either spring or made of old straw, and sometimes contained little creepy-crawlies.

   • 2013 March 2, Tracy McVeigh, “Insects could be the planet's next food source… even if that gives you the creeps”, in The Observer‎:

     Many experts believe there is a clear environmental benefit to humans eating creepy-crawlies.

Synonyms

• creepy crawler

Translations

small crawling animal such as a spider, insect or worm

Basque: zomorro (eu) Catalan: cuca (ca) f Finnish: ötökkä (fi), mönkiäinen Galician: bicho m, bichoco m, besbello m German: Krabbeltier n, Krabbelviech n Greek: μαμούνι (el) n (mamoúni), μαμούδι (el) n (mamoúdi) Macedonian: бу́бачка f (búbačka) Spanish: bicho (es) m, animalejo m Welsh: trychfil (cy) m

Adjective

creepy-crawly (comparative more creepy-crawly, superlative most creepy-crawly)

1. Unpleasant, repulsive.
   • 1903, Lloyd Osbourne, “Ffrenches First”, in Love, the Fiddler‎:

     […] and slimy, creepy-crawly dungeons with chains for your hands and feet; […]

   • 1921, Dorothy Scarborough, Humorous Ghost Stories‎:

     Still he paid no heed; and I don't mind saying to you men that, for half a second, I felt creepy-crawly and goose-flesh down the back.

Etymology 2

From Kreepy Krauly, brand name, from Etymology 1.

Noun

creepy-crawly (plural creepy-crawlies)

1. (Australia, informal, trademark erosion) An automated suction pool cleaner.