Bugbear
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For the Finnish video game studio, see Bugbear Entertainment. For the Dungeons & Dragons creature, see Bugbear (Dungeons & Dragons).
A bugbear is a legendary creature or type of hobgoblin comparable to the bogeyman, bogey, bugaboo, and other creatures of folklore, all of which were historically used in some cultures to frighten disobedient children.[1] Its name is derived from an old Celtic word bug for evil spirit or goblin.[2] In medieval England, the Bugbear was depicted as a creepy bear that lurked in the woods to scare children; it was described in this manner in an English translation of a 1565 Italian play The Buggbear.[2]
In a modern context, the term bugbear serves as a metaphor for something which is annoying or irritating.[1] It may also mean "pet peeve."[3] Bugbear is also another term for scarecrow.[citation needed]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
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Look up bugbear in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
- ^ a b J. Simpson, E. Weiner (eds), ed (1989). "Raven". Oxford English Dictionary (2nd edition ed.). Oxford: Clarendon Press. ISBN 0-19-861186-2.
- ^ a b Briggs, Katherine M. (1976). A Dictionary of Fairies. Harmondsworth, Middlesex: Penguin. p. 52. ISBN 0-14-00-4753-0.
- ^ merriam-webster.com
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