writin' spider
In Appalachian and Southern speech, a "writing spider" is the large black-and-yellow garden orb-weaver (*Argiope* species) known for weaving bold zigzag patterns that look like writing. Local lore says if it writes your name, you’ll die.
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I've only known them as 'writin' spiders' all my life - a common term around here. Pronunciation
Meaning & Usage
- Large garden orb-weaver spider (folk name) (noun)
Look at that writing spider - see the zigzag?They say if it writes your name you’re a goner.Origin
Documented in Appalachian and Southern dialect and folklore collections. The name refers to the stabilimentum - the zigzag silk pattern - which people imagined as letters or signatures. Regional myths about the spider "writing your name" go back at least to the early 20th century.
Notes
Still widely known in the South and Appalachia. Outside the region people usually call it a "garden spider" or "Argiope." Many Southerners grow up with stories about writing spiders passed down by parents and grandparents.
Say It Like a Southerner
Said plain: "writing spider." In rural speech the "g" in "writing" often softens, sounding like "writin’ spider."