Mutschekiepchen (MOOT-sheh-KEEP-shen) Literally “little cow” or “little calf,” but used regionally for “ladybug” From mutsche, linked to cow sounds such as muh, + -kiepchen, a dialect form connected with kuh (cow). In parts of eastern Germany, mutschekiepchen is a regional word for marienkäfer, the standard German word for ladybug. A tiny red beetle called a little cow? Very German, and somehow completely adorable.