Where does “litterbug” come from?

litterbug (English) comes from English Bug, from English bugge, from Middle English bugge, from Proto-Germanic bugja-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰew- — to grow, swell; to swell, wax, grow; to blow; to...

litterbug (English): A person who tends to drop litter and not clean...

Definitions

  1. A person who tends to drop litter and not clean...

Ancestry of “litterbug”, step by step

litterbug traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English Bug

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishBugA Volkswagen Beetle car; A Bugatti car
2Englishbuggebeetle
3Middle Englishbuggebogy, hobgoblin, bugbear; scarecrow
4Proto-Germanicbugja-swollen up, thick
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰew-to grow, swell; to swell, wax, grow; to blow; to...

via English litter

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishlitterA platform mounted on two shafts, or a more...
2Middle Englishlitere—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰew- →
litterbug — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer