Translation guide
Refers to two distinct creatures: a spider-like arachnid with very long legs (often found indoors) and a flying insect with long legs (crane fly). The Japanese terms differ completely.
The common indoor/outdoor arachnid with a tiny body and extremely long, thin legs (order Opiliones).
The most common everyday term for the arachnid. Literally 'blind masseur bug', from a folk belief that it guides the blind.
天井に座頭虫がいる。
There's a daddy longlegs on the ceiling.
Literally 'blind spider'. Older term, now often considered insensitive due to the word 盲 (blind). Still understood.
Contains 盲 (blind), which is now often avoided as discriminatory language. Use 座頭虫 instead.
子供の頃、メクラグモをよく捕まえた。
When I was a kid, I used to catch daddy longlegs often.
Literally 'ghost spider'. A less common poetic or regional name.
ユウレイグモは夜行性だ。
Ghost spiders are nocturnal.
The flying insect with long dangling legs, often mistaken for a giant mosquito (family Tipulidae).
The standard Japanese word for crane fly. No direct connection to 'daddy longlegs' in Japanese; it's a completely different creature.
ガガンボが窓から入ってきた。
A crane fly came in through the window.
Literally 'mosquito dragonfly'. A colloquial name for crane fly, common in some regions.
In English, 'daddy longlegs' can refer to either a long-legged arachnid or a crane fly. In Japanese, these are completely different words. Make sure you know which one you mean.
「ダディ・ロングレッグス」と言っても、相手はどちらかわからないかもしれません。
Even if you say 'daddy longlegs,' the listener might not know which one you mean.
The word メクラグモ contains 盲 (blind), which is now considered discriminatory. Use 座頭虫 for the arachnid instead.
メクラグモではなく座頭虫と言いましょう。
Let's say 座頭虫 instead of メクラグモ.
Crane flies don't bite, you know.