# Need examples of things that aren't what their name implies **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 27, 2011, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-examples-of-things-that-arent-what-their-name-implies/583432 "2011-05-27T15:14:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-examples-of-things-that-arent-what-their-name-implies/583432/61 "2011-05-29T13:10:43Z")
A strawberry isn’t a berry (nor is it made of straw, of course.) Neither is a blackberry, nor a raspberry. …but a tomato \*is \*a berry. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-examples-of-things-that-arent-what-their-name-implies/583432/62 "2011-05-29T13:12:58Z")
> [@cjepson](#): > > [Head cheese](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head_cheese)ain’t cheese. (Of course, toe jam ain’t jam either, but that’s slang.) It’s a “cheese” in the older sense of something made from a number of small pieces squished together into a mass. The dairy product is a “cheese” of curds. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-examples-of-things-that-arent-what-their-name-implies/583432/63 "2011-05-29T13:27:58Z")
In the UK telegraph poles carry telephone lines, they haven’t actually carried telegraph lines for the Lord knows how long, probably 70 or 80 years. The old name just stuck. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-examples-of-things-that-arent-what-their-name-implies/583432/64 "2011-05-29T13:42:33Z")
> [@lukeinva](#): > > Jumbo shrimp. > > ETA: Hmmm… I take that back. However, why is it called a baseball park? A park has benches and trees and maybe a water fountain, places to play and toss a frisbee etc. Several baseball venues have all these things-the Diamondbacks’ park for example, which even has a swimming pool. Parks also tend to have big lawns. ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-examples-of-things-that-arent-what-their-name-implies/583432/65 "2011-05-29T13:53:12Z")
Peach fuzz. Car-pet. the obvious hot dog. Umm…tank top? Hamburger! Not a cow. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-examples-of-things-that-arent-what-their-name-implies/583432/66 "2011-05-29T17:58:10Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > A strawberry isn’t a berry (nor is it made of straw, of course.) > > Neither is a blackberry, nor a raspberry. > > …but a tomato \*is \*a berry. :smack: Actually they are all three berries. > **[Berry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berry)** > > A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit although many pips or seeds may be present.‍ Common examples of berries in the culinary sense are strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, white currants, blackcurrants, and redcurrants.‍ In Britain, soft fruit is a horticultural term for such fruits.‍ > The common usage of the term "berry" is different from the scientific ... _In everyday English, “berry” is a term for any small edible fruit. These “berries” are usually juicy, round or semi-oblong, brightly coloured, sweet or sour, and do not have a stone or pit, although many seeds may be present._ ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-examples-of-things-that-arent-what-their-name-implies/583432/67 "2011-05-29T18:10:11Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Actually they are all three berries. > [Berry - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berry) > _In everyday English, “berry” is a term for any small edible fruit. These “berries” are usually juicy, round or semi-oblong, brightly coloured, sweet or sour, and do not have a stone or pit, although many seeds may be present._ > [@](#): > > The botanical definition of a berry is a fleshy fruit produced from a single ovary. > [@](#): > > Several types of common “berries” are shown, only one of which (the blueberry) is a berry by botanical definition. Blackberries are aggregate fruit composed of many drupelets, and strawberries are aggregate accessory fruit. If you’re nerdy enough to accept that a tomato is a fruit, you’re nerdy enough to accept that drupelet aggregates and aggregate accessories are not berries. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Bag\_of\_Mostly\_Water](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bag_of_mostly_water/32/1029_2.png) [@Bag\_of\_Mostly\_Water](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bag_of_Mostly_Water)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-examples-of-things-that-arent-what-their-name-implies/583432/68 "2011-05-29T18:16:20Z")
Starfish do look like stars, but are not fish. People who study them use the name “sea stars.” ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-examples-of-things-that-arent-what-their-name-implies/583432/69 "2011-05-29T18:49:44Z")
Sea horse Sea cucumber Seabees Navy SEALs ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-examples-of-things-that-arent-what-their-name-implies/583432/70 "2011-05-29T18:56:38Z")
> [@Ex\_Chemist](#): > > Starfish do look like stars, but are not fish. People who study them use the name “sea stars.” fish used to mean just about anything in the ocean: jellyfish, cuttlefish, etc. Maybe it was originally from fish as a verb? ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2011, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-examples-of-things-that-arent-what-their-name-implies/583432/71 "2011-05-30T02:40:57Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Blow job Dammit. Beaten again! However, to hear some tell it, it can be a chore… ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2011, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-examples-of-things-that-arent-what-their-name-implies/583432/72 "2011-05-30T03:12:07Z")
Cocktail ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2011, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-examples-of-things-that-arent-what-their-name-implies/583432/73 "2011-05-30T03:28:05Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Magpie has no relation to pie. It is, however, piebald, or pied. Depending on how literal you want to get, the fire department doesn’t provide fire in the same way the water department provides water, and you can’t buy a home at a home store. ([Yes, it’s been done.](http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=2842)) [TV Tropes has a Literal Minded trope which may be helpful.](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/LiteralMinded) ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2011, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-examples-of-things-that-arent-what-their-name-implies/583432/74 "2011-05-30T04:07:18Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > The usual joke is that it was was neither holy, nor Roman, nor an empire. The other joke is that Christian Scientists are like Grape Nuts. ---
**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2011, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-examples-of-things-that-arent-what-their-name-implies/583432/75 "2011-05-30T04:27:43Z")
Neither French Toast nor French Fries have anything to do with the country of France. ---
**Author:** ![JBDivmstr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b4bc9f/32.png) [@JBDivmstr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBDivmstr)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2011, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-examples-of-things-that-arent-what-their-name-implies/583432/76 "2011-05-30T05:01:07Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Blow job And of course, headjob. Granted, there i_ **s** _ a _ **head** _, involved. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Shawn1767](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shawn1767](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shawn1767)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2011, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-examples-of-things-that-arent-what-their-name-implies/583432/77 "2011-05-30T05:33:52Z")
Ringworm. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2011, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-examples-of-things-that-arent-what-their-name-implies/583432/78 "2011-05-30T07:44:06Z")
wolfram Madison Square Garden – another 3-way: not on Madison St., not square, not a garden ---
**Author:** ![maggenpye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@maggenpye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maggenpye)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2011, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-examples-of-things-that-arent-what-their-name-implies/583432/79 "2011-05-30T09:10:17Z")
Colonial Goose was a common dish a few decades ago in New Zealand (oh okay, and Australia too) - It’s roast mutton (old sheep). ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2011, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-examples-of-things-that-arent-what-their-name-implies/583432/80 "2011-05-30T09:22:36Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > If you’re nerdy enough to accept that a tomato is a fruit, you’re nerdy enough to accept that drupelet aggregates and aggregate accessories are not berries. 😉 The problem is that people can’t distinguish between culinary and botanical terms. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-examples-of-things-that-arent-what-their-name-implies/583432.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-examples-of-things-that-arent-what-their-name-implies/583432.md?page=5)