# dandelion = lion's tooth? how come?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dandelion-lions-tooth-how-come/170673>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 23, 2003, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dandelion-lions-tooth-how-come/170673 "2003-04-23T19:53:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![regnad\_kcin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@regnad\_kcin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/regnad_kcin)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dandelion-lions-tooth-how-come/170673/1 "2003-04-23T19:53:17Z")

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The word “dandelion” come from the French dente de lion.

The German Loewenzahn seems to bear this out.

Whats the relationship between this flower and a lion’s tooth?

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**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dandelion-lions-tooth-how-come/170673/2 "2003-04-23T20:00:40Z")

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The individual petals are long, thin and pointed, resembling a lion’s canine teeth.

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**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dandelion-lions-tooth-how-come/170673/3 "2003-04-23T20:11:14Z")

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According to my etymology reference, it’s from the _leaves_ being toothed “like a lion”, not the petal.

[See here.](http://www.bartleby.com/61/13/D0021300.html)

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**Author:** ![herman\_and\_bill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f1d935/32.png) [@herman\_and\_bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/herman_and_bill)\
**Post date:** [April 24, 2003, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dandelion-lions-tooth-how-come/170673/4 "2003-04-24T00:38:03Z")

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Toothed leaves from here too.

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**Author:** ![hibernicus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hibernicus/32/2802_2.png) [@hibernicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hibernicus)\
**Post date:** [April 24, 2003, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dandelion-lions-tooth-how-come/170673/5 "2003-04-24T00:52:16Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by regnad kcin \*  
> **The word “dandelion” come from the French dente de lion.**

“dent de lion” to be exact.

Funnily enough the French word for dandelion is “piss en lit”, which has a parallel in the English dialect word “pissabed”.

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**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\
**Post date:** [April 24, 2003, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dandelion-lions-tooth-how-come/170673/6 "2003-04-24T01:01:29Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by hibernicus \*  
> \*\*“dent de lion” to be exact.
> 
> Funnily enough the French word for dandelion is “piss en lit”, which has a parallel in the English dialect word “pissabed”. \*\*

Indeed. I recall children in my neighbourhood claiming that picking dandelions would cause you to wet your bed (actually an exaggeration), and you’ll find extract from it being prescribed as a herbal diuretic.

The leaves can be eaten in salads.