Photo Of The Day: 6, 5, 13

It's wabbit season?

The word "bunny" first appeared in English in the 17th century as both a term for a pet rabbit and a term of endearment for a woman or young child. "Bunny" itself was a diminutive form of the earlier "bun," which in the 16th century was not only used for rabbits and as a term of endearment but applied to squirrels as well.

The origin of that "bun," unfortunately, is a bit of a mystery. It is possible, although not considered likely, that a perceived resemblance of the bunny's tail to the bakery sort of bun explains the term. If true, this would also tie the rabbit sort of "bun" to the "bun" of hair worn on the back of the head in some hairstyles. Incidentally, the probable origin of this kind of "bun" is not very appetizing, being the Old French "bugne," meaning "swelling" or "boil."

Another possible source for the rabbit sort of "bun" is the Gaelic word "bun," which means "stump or root." This "bun" fits well with the stumpy tail of the rabbit, and is, in fact, the source of the use of "buns" to mean the human buttocks. But neither this stumpy "bun" nor the possible "bakery" derivation explains why the term was formerly also applied to squirrels, which, of course, sport luxurious tails.

In my front yard....lol

It was hard to get him without running off. Actually he did, but I got him anyway.