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unusual facts about misnomer


Abuse of language

Misnomer, a term which suggests an interpretation that is known to be untrue


Similar

Misnomer | misnomer |

Adaptive architecture

Something of a misnomer, because the thing that adapts is the working system, rather than the (more abstract) architecture which defines the adaptability that is required of that system.

Blue Jay, California

The naming of the town is something of a misnomer: the local variety of jay is actually the Steller's Jay, not the closely related Blue Jay.

Bolero

A version of the Cuban bolero is danced throughout the Latin dance world (supervised by the World Dance Council) under the misnomer 'rumba'.

Citrus Hill

In June 1990, Commissioner David Aaron Kessler of the Food & Drug Administration declared that the use of "fresh" was a misnomer and a violation of 1963 rules governing processed orange juice, which P&G denied.

Commissioners of the Northwest Territories

As Commissioners are appointed by the Canadian federal government it is a misnomer to consider the office the Monarch's viceregal representative in the territory--that is, unlike in Canada's provinces, there is no such thing as a "territorial Crown" analogous to the provincial Crowns.

Gough Island

Confusion of the unusual Portuguese saint name Gonçalo with Spanish Diego led to the misnomer "Diego Alvarez island" in English sources from 1800s to 1930s.

Harpers

Harpers, popular misnomer for Harper's Magazine (since 1850), American monthly general-interest magazine

Messianic Secret

Late in the 20th century, criticism of both the motif and the theory continued from a number of other perspectives, e.g. Daniel J. Harrington argued that even the term "Messianic Secret" is a misnomer, has lumped together multiple issues and some of the Biblical terms used have been confused.

Misnomer dance theater

Founded in 1998 by Artistic Director and choreographer Chris Elam, Misnomer Dance Theater celebrates the nuances of human communication, including the tenderness, humor, and absurdity that characterize our day-to-day interactions.

Founded in 1998 by Artistic Director and choreographer Chris Elam, Misnomer Dance Theater creates contemporary dances about human relationships that are informed by cross-cultural and international perspectives.

Nicola Athapaskans

The term Nicola for them is a misnomer, though a common one used by ethnologists and linguists - it commemorates a famous Okanagan chief who once held sway over the valley and its peoples as well as over the Kamloops Shuswap).

One-child policy

Many demographers consider the term "one-child" policy a misnomer, as the policy allows many exceptions: rural families can have a second child if the first child is a girl or is disabled, and ethnic minorities are exempt.

Reactive gastropathy

Etymologically, "gastritis", in this context, is a misnomer as the process is not predominantly inflammatory, i.e. the condition is not an -itis.

Right-to-work law

Some opponents (such as Richard Kahlenberg and Moshe Z. Marvit) have argued that while a wonderfully effective political slogan, "right-to-work" is a misnomer because the lack of such a law does not deprive anyone of the right to work; a right-to-work law simply "gives employees the right to be free riders--to benefit from collective bargaining without paying for it".


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