creepy-crawly

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creepy-crawly (plural creepy-crawlies)

1. (informal) Any small crawling animal such as a spider, insect or worm that is unpleasant.
   • 1919, Gerald Featherstone Knight, Brother Bosch: An Airman's Escape from Germany‎:

     Mattresses were either spring or made of old straw, and sometimes contained little creepy-crawlies.

   • 2013 March 2, Tracy McVeigh, “Insects could be the planet's next food source… even if that gives you the creeps”, in The Observer‎:

     Many experts believe there is a clear environmental benefit to humans eating creepy-crawlies.

• creepy crawler

creepy-crawly (comparative more creepy-crawly, superlative most creepy-crawly)

1. Unpleasant, repulsive.
   • 1903, Lloyd Osbourne, “Ffrenches First”, in Love, the Fiddler‎:

     […] and slimy, creepy-crawly dungeons with chains for your hands and feet; […]

   • 1921, Dorothy Scarborough, Humorous Ghost Stories‎:

     Still he paid no heed; and I don't mind saying to you men that, for half a second, I felt creepy-crawly and goose-flesh down the back.

From Kreepy Krauly, brand name, from Etymology 1.

creepy-crawly (plural creepy-crawlies)

1. (Australia, informal, trademark erosion) An automated suction pool cleaner.