flutterby - butterfly - The butterfly is erroneously thought to have been a variation of the word'flutterby'. The first recording of the actual word appears to be the olde English'butterfloege', as well as a similar Dutch word, both having their roots in the belief that butterflies drank milk. In England, many people still insist the word comes from the Brimstone Butterfly, a butter-colored insect that is often the harbinger of Spring.