Slaters

When I moved into my present house I had a downstairs bathroom for the first time. And it came with its own inhabitants: I occasionally see a couple of slaters. Well thats what I call them, though they are also known as bibble bugs, cheesy bugs, cud-worms, coffin-cutters, roly poly, monkey peas, penny pigs, sink-lice, sowbugs , tiggyhogs and fairy’s pigs. This latter one I like particularly! They are, of course, woodlice. I am intruiged by all these names. A little pole has thrown up the idea that 'slater' is a celtic word as my Scottish (or those of Scots lineage) and Irish friends also call them this. Tiggyhogs seems to be a Devonism. Whilst trawling the www in search of info I have found that there are many sites appreciating ye olde slater and even a few praising the little seen silverfish, which I am informed is comaparable in age to the Coelacanth!