Zooey Deschanel

It's an addiction. I love clothes. I like to go down Melrose and look in all the windows and I go to different flea markets. I have lots of costumes. You never know when you're going to have to dress up like a milkmaid from the 1600s.

American Actress

Used historically to describe a woman’s job on farms, less common in modern contexts.

Occupational Term

Often found in folklore and fairy tales, representing simplicity and rustic charm.

Literary Character

Can be used metaphorically to denote someone’s innocence or naivety.

Not Always Literal

The milkmaid butterfly refers to a specific species, not all white butterflies.

Species Specific

Known as 'milkmaid' in the UK, may have different names in other regions.

Regional Name

Milkmaid butterflies are native to meadows, a detail that can inform context in use.

Natural Habitat

 a drawn curtain often emphasizes the separation. We can witness a milkmaid serenely pouring a bowl of milk, but that milk isn't for us. We're only onlookers. The studied composition in Vermeer's paintings