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You might have heard the phrase "What's in a name?" But when it comes to everyday things, names can play a surprisingly significant role in shaping our perceptions. Can you imagine picking up a product only to discover that its name has led you completely astray? For instance, take "head cheese." You might think it’s some gourmet delicacy, but it’s a meat jelly made from the head of a pig.
So, when someone online asked, "What’s something that has a dangerously misleading name?" People quickly chimed in with some intriguing examples. Keep reading to discover more surprising names that might just leave you scratching your head, Pandas!
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#1
Pro-life. Should just be called pro-birth, they don’t care what happens after.
#2
Flushable wipes
Ask elbow-deep-in-sewage fixing-the-pump self how I know they aren't flushable...
Glen Ellyn 1 month ago
They have become a real problem in many places. Cities are having to spend our tax dollars removing "fatbergs" from their sewer systems. Too many people are pitching all kinds of things down the drain. Apparently the worst culprits are wipes, disposable diapers (!), and grease, that then congeal together making a fatberg that plugs up the system. People, please just toss you trash in the bin! Toilet tissue is the ONLY THING specifically made to dissolve so it doesn't cause problems.
When you look around, you might be surprised how many things have names that can really mislead you. Take guinea pigs, for example. Those adorable little creatures have nothing to do with pigs, and they’re not from Guinea either! They’re actually small rodents from South America.
Here’s the thing: names have a way of shaping our expectations. So, when we hear a particular name, we create a clear picture in our minds of what that thing should be.
For instance, when you hear "French fries," you might instantly think of a tasty side dish from France. But surprise—they’re not actually French! They likely originated in Belgium. This goes on to show names can mislead us, painting a picture that doesn’t quite match reality.
#4
Air fryer.
Not a fryer. Has no oil.
It is a convection oven.
#5
I recently learned by speaking with my 5-YO nephew that it can be incredibly distressing to little kids that we use the same phrase (“put to sleep”) for both “human general anesthesia” and “family pet euthanasia.” Buddy boy only knew the dog context and then someone mentioned the doctors would “put grandma to sleep so she wouldn’t feel them cutting her for surgery.” 💀💀💀.
Riley Quinn 1 month ago
Growing up on a farm, life held no secrets. When we dispatched an animal, we referred to the act as putting the animal down. But even as kids, we knew it meant death. I think suburban kids lag behind rural and city kids who see various shades of life on the daily.
Whether it’s a product name that sounds fancy but turns out to be something completely ordinary, or a term that seems straightforward but leaves you scratching your head, names can definitely play tricks on us.
Like the flight recorder in airplanes—it’s called a "black box," but it’s not even black. It’s actually bright orange, so it’s easier to find after a crash. Makes you wonder, why isn’t it just called the “orange box”?
#7
Ringworm. It's actually a fungus.
Debby Keir 1 month ago
Yes, that looks like ringworm, so I don't understand the furore *https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/ringworm/ *
#9
Long Island Iced Tea does not contain any tea at all. And can be very dangerous as it is very easy to drink.
If you've ever ordered Chilean sea bass, you might’ve thought it was some fancy fish from the waters of Chile, right? Well, not exactly; it’s actually a rebranded name for Patagonian toothfish. They gave it a makeover to make it sound more appealing on menus!
#11
Waterboarding in Guantanamo Bay sounds like a fun time!!
Glen Ellyn 1 month ago
To me, a waterboard should be what we used to call a kickboard, used during beginner swimming lessons. Or any kind of board used in water - surfboard, boogie board, etc.
#12
A water moccasin isn't a comfortable aquatic shoe.
DudeFortitude (He/Him) 1 month ago
"Yeah I'll be there in a sec, gotta put on my moccasins to go to the beach - OW F**K OW WHAT THE HELL HOW THE HELL DID THAT GET THERE OW OW OW also how did I not see that it was a snake OW OW S**T OW OW OW" - Someone, probably
You might have heard someone say they have tennis elbow, and it sounds like an injury you'd get from playing too much tennis. But it actually has nothing to do with the sport at all. Tennis elbow refers to a painful condition caused by overuse of the forearm muscles, which can happen to anyone, whether they play tennis or not.
#13
Bear spray. I worked in the tourist industry and every year we hear stories of some idiot who think it’s like mosquito spray and spray it on their children and selves.
#15
“Right to Work” is one. “Pro-life” is another one.
Freya the Wanderer 1 month ago
"Right to work" means "right of employers to bust unions and pay their employees starvation wages."
#16
Inflammable does not mean not flammable. It means it is flammable.
Forrest Hobbs 1 month ago
"Inflammable" came first and makes sense, and I quote: 'we get inflammable from the Latin verb inflammare, which combines flammare ("to catch fire") with a Latin prefix in- (more commonly seen as en- in English, as in enfold) meaning "to cause to be." ' More here: https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/flammable-or-inflammable
When you "hit your funny bone," you might expect a chuckle or a lighthearted moment. However, it’s neither a bone nor a joke when you bump it. What you're actually striking is the ulnar nerve, which runs along the inside of your elbow.
When this nerve gets knocked, it sends a jolt of sharp discomfort through your arm, and it’s definitely no laughing matter!
#18
I’ve been waiting for a question like this!! My answer: the phrase “the jury was hung” meaning they all couldn’t decide on one verdict together. The first thing my mind goes to is “wow! They hung the whole jury by their necks!!”
EDIT: YES I’m aware the correct terminology is HANGED I live down the street from Salem where the witches got HANGED I just immediately think HUNG when people say HUNG JURY I know it’s incorrect it’s just what comes to mind thanks reddit folk.
#20
The Patriot Act.
Justin Tyme 1 month ago
The Total Government Control Over Every Part of Your Life and Denial of Constitutional Rights Act
#21
Perusing Door Dash earlier, trying to figure out what I wanted. Came across a place called Hello Cake. Thinking we had a new bakery in town, I clicked. They do not, in fact, sell cake. They sell butt plugs and other assorted sex toys. 😐.
Even koalas aren’t quite what they seem at first glance. We often affectionately refer to them as "koala bears," but they’re not bears at all. Instead, koalas are marsupials, belonging to the same unique family as kangaroos and opossums.
This means that, like their larger relatives, female koalas carry their young in pouches, nurturing them until they’re ready to face the world.
#23
Ectopic pregnancy. Tissue growing outside the uterus in an almost malignant fashion that has no chance of viability and will probably k*ll the afflicted person is not in any sense a “pregnancy”. The name needs to be changed to reflect the medical condition that it is.
Dorothea Stovall 1 month ago
It's a "pregnancy" because it's a fertilized ovum. It's ectopic because it's "out of place."
#24
**Rocky Mountain Oysters**—they're not oysters at all! They're actually bull testicles, and the name can really throw people off.
Now, here’s one for the peanut lovers. If you think you’re avoiding legumes, think again. Peanuts aren't nuts; they're actually legumes, like beans and lentils.
Also, have you ever wondered about "dry cleaning"? It sounds like a process that doesn’t involve water, but in reality, your clothes do get wet—just not with water. Instead, they’re cleaned with special chemicals.
#25
Citizens United.
Riley Quinn 1 month ago
Their mission almost sounds reasonable until you realize it a bunch of Conservative jackoffs who want to indoctrinate people towards their skewed way of visualizing the US.
#26
I once met a girl named, I kid you not, Sweet Princess Smith (last name changed for privacy). She was a huge b***h. Nothing sweet or princess-like about her.
#27
Golytely
If you've had a colonoscopy, you know.
Justin Tyme 1 month ago
I used to work in a hospital. We somewhat-jokingly called it Goheavily.
Names can be pretty misleading sometimes, right? These posts remind us that it’s always good to pay attention! What do you think? Do you know of any interesting names that completely mean something else?
#28
Nutty Putty Cave sounds like such a joyous good time.
Beak Hookage 1 month ago
These days you could just as well call it Nutty Putty Tomb. Because that's what it is.
#29
Vitamin Water.
#32
The English Horn:
Not English.
Not a horn.
Forrest Hobbs 1 month ago
In the UK, it's called the "cor anglais", ultimately coming from Middle High German "engellisches Horn" meaning "angelic horn". All very odd, really. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cor_anglais#History_and_etymology
#35
Yellowcake.
Show Thyself 1 month ago
Here's the wikipedia-explanation to help understanding: "Yellowcake (also called urania) is a type of powdered uranium concentrate obtained from leach solutions, in an intermediate step in the processing of uranium ores. It is a step in the processing of uranium after it has been mined but before fuel fabrication or uranium enrichment."
#36
Sex wax sounds like something used to make certain body parts slippery. In reality, it is used to make a surfboard not so slippery.
#37
Butterflies are not actually made of butter and you SHOULD NOT COOK WITH THEM.
#38
Literally ANY bill being introduced in American politics.
#40
The opposite, but SUPERVISION sounds so much cooler than it actually is.
#41
“Unloosen” , as in shoe laces - means the exact same thing as “loosen”. Grammatically correct but logically ridiculous. Absurd even. I might write a letter to my senator.
ZuriLovesYou 1 month ago (edited)
Who the heII says "unloosen" anyway? Unloosen should mean the same thing as "tighten".
#43
The Incredibly Deadly Viper.
#44
Spinach artichoke dip SOUNDS healthy. It's got two vegetables right there in the name, but it ain't healthy at all.
Daniel Atkins 1 month ago
Yeah the cheese, cream cheese mayo and sour cream kinda cancel the healthy part out but it tastes good. Not what is pictured though.
#49
Baby aspirin.
Dorothea Stovall 1 month ago
They were invented a long time ago and was used for children until the correlation with Reye's syndrome was found.
#50
Mineral spirits is not healthy liquor.
What do you think ?
Justin Tyme 1 month ago (edited)
Karate Weapons. The word "karate" means "empty hands" i.e. no weapons.
Justin Tyme 1 month ago (edited)
Karate Weapons. The word "karate" means "empty hands" i.e. no weapons.
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