"Earwigs are so named because they crawl into people's ears while they're sleeping and bore into their brains."

False.

While there's some dispute over the origin of the name "earwig," there's no dispute whatsoever among entomologists as to the insect's fabled fondness for the human ear - it's balderdash. (Earwigs aren't particularly keen on devouring your brain, either.)

According to the Colorado State Cooperative Extension, "other than an occasional pinch, earwigs can't harm people."

Let's grant the experts their due.

Some sources say the name, at least, did originate in these old superstitious beliefs. According to this explanation, "earwig" comes from an Old English phrase meaning "ear creature" (Brewer, 1898). Other sources conjecture that the name derives from a corruption of the phrase "ear wing," supposedly referring to the ear-like shape of the insect's hind set of wings. Take your pick.

As to the origin of the superstition itself, the Columbia Encyclopedia posits the following:

The superstition that earwigs crawl through the ears and into the brains of sleeping persons probably derives from their nocturnal habits and the tarry or waxy odor of a secretion of their abdominal glands.

Please don't ask me to get close enough to verify that.

Sources and further reading:

• "Earwig." Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase & Fable, 1898.
• "Earwig." Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition.
• "Earwigs." Colorado State Cooperative Extension.

Also of interest:

Creepy-Crawly Urban Legends
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