15世紀中葉,“ dad ”的俚語愛稱,搭配 -y (3)。 1949年出現了“ daddy-o ”俚語,源自於爵士說唱。
“ Daddy-long-legs ”在英國由來已久,最早見於1814年,指的是蒼蠅一類細長的夏季昆蟲。在美國,到了1865年它被用來表示一種類似於蜘蛛的蛛形動物,具有小圓身體和極長細腿。
A superstition obtains among our cow-boys that if a cow be lost, its whereabouts may be learned by inquiring of the Daddy-Long-legs (Phalangium), which points out the direction of the lost animal with one of its fore legs. [Frank Cowan, "Curious Facts in the History of Insects, Including Spiders and Scorpions," Philadelphia, 1865]
我們的牛仔們中存在一種迷信觀念,即如果一頭牛丟失了,可以問“Daddy-Long-legs”(長腿爸爸)它指出失去的動物的方向。[弗蘭克·科萬 Frank Cowan,《昆蟲,包括蜘蛛和蠍子在內的有趣歷史事實》,費城,1865年]