Philadelphia science museum employees accused of stealing $50,000 worth of bugs

Well…I could see that some breeds of bugs do indeed have industrial/pharmaceutical value, as their study can yield novel materials, and their exotic nature prevents others from pointing out the natural occurrence of said materials, but most of those bugs are not really in that category.
I’m willing to bet this had more to do with destroying evidence, than anything else.

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So it’s what the media calls a “bug ring?”

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Have enjoyed Thorin’s line:
"You’re the burgular. Go on and…burgle something! "
for many decades.

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I prefer the term, “burglebear”. For example, Winnnie the Pooh helping himself to other people’s honey. :grinning:

If it is Winnie the Pooh, it is, of course, hunny. But, yes, that would be perfect, if unique, usage. :slight_smile:

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I just wish that somehow in the development of this language a good substitute for “lots and lots and lots” could have been thunk up.

Cambridge says they believe that the crime was financially motivated, but they’re also investigating whether it was an attempt to frame someone else along the way. “They are not difficult to sell, and there’s a thriving market of insect enthusiasts,” he told us. (Emphasis mine)

I’m sure it’s not fair, but all that comes to mind when I read this is Silence of the Lambs. Cockroach enthusiasts? (shivers) Count me out.

The OED:
image

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The word you are looking for is “scads”. “Oodles” would work too. Both are totally underused. Amaze your friends! Confound your enemies!

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Not to forget the spider enthusiasts.

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The best thing about that definition is that uses the awesome word “burglariously”.

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How many bugs can you get fo $50 grand?

Danny-DeVito-Nope

Reminds me of the book theft from that library in Pittsburgh.

Inside job?

It’s in Holmesburg, they probably just crawled onto the local tweakers

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Everyone’s so focused on the word used for the theft, no one has pointed out that spiders are not bugs! Neither are cockroaches. They may have lost a colony of Hemiptra in the mix, but I dont know of any true bugs that are social the same way bees and ants are. If you want to include spiders and insects, they all could be called arthropods. “bugs” is not something a museum would call them, neither should happy mutants.

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I note your username with some unease.

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Man, you’re really - bugged - by this.

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Burglarize: to rob burglariously.

A classic example of dictionarian humor.