A). cicala, Cicada plebeia or allied species, a winged insect fond of basking on trees, when the male makes a chirping or clicking noise by means of certain drums or 'tymbals' underneath the wings, whence the joke in Xenarch. 14 , εἶτ’. . οἱ τέττιγες οὐκ εὐδαίμονες, ὧν ταῖς γυναιξὶν οὐδ’ ὁτιοῦν φωνῆς ἔνι; prov., τέττιγος ἐδράξω πτεροῦ Archil. 143 (v. συλλαμβάνω 11.1 ). This noise is freq. used as a simile for sweet sounds, Il. 3.151 , Hes. Op. 582 , Sc. 393 , Simon. 173 , 174 , etc.; and Plato calls them οἱ Μουσῶν προφῆται, Phdr. 262d ; but they also became a prov. for garrulity, λαλεῖν τέττιξ Aristopho 10.7 : τ. πολλοὶ γινόμενοι νοσῶδες τὸ ἔτος σημαίνουσι Thphr. Sign. 54 . They were thought to sing continually without food or drink, Ar. Nu. 1360 , Pl. Phdr. 259c ; or on a diet of air and dew, Arist. HA 532b13 , Theoc. 4.16 , AP 6.120 ( Leon.), Anacreont. 32 , Plu. 2.660f . The Greeks ate τέττιγες to whet the appetite, Ath. 4.133b , cf. Ar. Frr. 51 , 569.4 , Alex. 162.13 (anap.), Anaxandr. 41.59 (anap., unless here the τέττιξ ἐνάλιος is meant, v. infr. 11 ); and as a medical remedy, Dsc. 2.51 , Orib. Fr. 64 .

2). gold ornament worn in the hair (cf. χρύσειαι δὲ κόρυμβαι ἐπ’ αὐτῶν τέττιγες ὥς Asius Fr.Ep. 13.5 ), esp. in early Attica, Th. 1.6 , Heraclid.Pont. ap. Ath. 12.512c ; ἀρχαῖα .. καὶ τεττίγων ἀνάμεστα, i.e. full of old-fashioned notions, Ar. Nu. 984 (anap.), v. Sch.( 980 ) and cf. τεττιγοφόρας; γυνὴ .. ἔχει τ. ἐπιχρύσους, in a list of votive offerings at Samos, Michel 832.51 (iv B.C.).

3). Com. name for a foreign cook, Ath. 14.659a , Hsch., cf. Poll. 4.148 , 150 .

4). Ἀκάνθιος τ., prov. of a silent person, Zen. 1.51 , St.Byz. s.v. Ἄκανθος .

II). τ. ἐνάλιος a kind of lobster, Arctos ursus, Ael. NA 13.26 .

III). part of the ear, τοῦ λοβοῦ τὸ περὶ τῇ κυψέλῃ Poll. 2.86 .