# Titles with misleading connotations **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 11, 2010, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/titles-with-misleading-connotations/563769 "2010-12-11T07:40:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/titles-with-misleading-connotations/563769/41 "2010-12-14T19:42:58Z")
Imagine my disappointment when I discovered that [Peep Show](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peep_Show_%28TV_series%29) is a sitcom about a guy who works at a bank and his roommate, who is an out-of-work musician. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/titles-with-misleading-connotations/563769/42 "2010-12-14T20:06:17Z")
When I was in 7th grade English, we were required to pick a novel to read based solely on the title and author. Having recently seen “Grey Lady Down” at the movie theater, I picked a book with the intriguing title, “Watership Down,” thinking it was about a ship or submarine. I was quite surprised to learn it was actually about: …rabbits. No ships–no sinkings. The “down” in the title was just a hill. Anyway, I loved the book. It’s one of my all-time favorites. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/titles-with-misleading-connotations/563769/43 "2010-12-14T20:10:29Z")
“Birth of a Nation” at first would seem in imply the American Revolution as opposed to the aftermath of the Civil War. I haven’t read the book, but in the movie, the title card implies that after the Civil War, the US became one nation, as opposed to a union of sovereign states. Similarly, Dixon’s follow-up novel and movie, “Fall of a Nation,” have nothing to do with “Birth of a Nation.” It’s a futuristic look at a German-led European invasion of the US. The movie is considered lost, however. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/titles-with-misleading-connotations/563769/44 "2010-12-14T20:34:17Z")
> [@jackdavinci](#): > > “Serenity” is not about someone meditating with Buddhist monks. …and \*that’s \*not incense! ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/titles-with-misleading-connotations/563769/45 "2010-12-14T20:41:53Z")
Similarly, _Firefly_ isn’t about chasing luminous bugs in your backyard on a summer evening. ---
**Author:** ![Ura-Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/51bf81/32.png) [@Ura-Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ura-Maru)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/titles-with-misleading-connotations/563769/46 "2010-12-14T22:02:49Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > “Bladerunner” was the title of a completely different science fiction novel by physician Alan E. Nourse. Wait. It wasn’t a historical novel from WW2? I was sure it was. That’s embarrassing. I feel like Marc Antony must have felt like after Octavian tricked Namor into destroying his navy at Actium . . . – Stupid memory loaf. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/titles-with-misleading-connotations/563769/47 "2010-12-14T22:16:10Z")
> [@robby](#): > > When I was in 7th grade English, we were required to pick a novel to read based solely on the title and author. Having recently seen “Grey Lady Down” at the movie theater, I picked a book with the intriguing title, “Watership Down,” thinking it was about a ship or submarine. Similar story here: in high school we were reading Hemingway, and I had a choice between _A Farewell to Arms_ and _For Whom the Bell Tolls_. I chose the latter because I didn’t want to read a book about war. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_A.Robrin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sam_a.robrin/32/14497_2.png) [@Sam\_A.Robrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_A.Robrin)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/titles-with-misleading-connotations/563769/48 "2010-12-14T22:16:33Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > What? _That’s_ what it’s about? I always thought it was about a group of quirky but lovable middle-aged Southern ladies who loved to cook. How are the two mutually exclusive…? ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_A.Robrin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sam_a.robrin/32/14497_2.png) [@Sam\_A.Robrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_A.Robrin)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/titles-with-misleading-connotations/563769/49 "2010-12-14T22:22:04Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > Similar story here: in high school we were reading Hemingway, and I had a choice between _A Farewell to Arms_ and _For Whom the Bell Tolls_. I chose the latter because I didn’t want to read a book about war. :smack: I always assumed the former was about the Venus de Milo… ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/titles-with-misleading-connotations/563769/50 "2010-12-14T22:26:13Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > Yeah! And that TV show _The Naked Archeologist_! He never appears other than fully clothed. (Thankfully.) And for a while on Food Network Jamie Oliver had a show called “The Naked Chef”. Again, he was fully clothed. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/titles-with-misleading-connotations/563769/51 "2010-12-14T22:49:15Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > What? _That’s_ what it’s about? I always thought it was about a group of quirky but lovable middle-aged Southern ladies who loved to cook. Well, the plot is about A young woman who is abused by her husband, and her eventual escape from his tyranny by killing him, and how they cover up the murder by disposing of the evidence. All told through flashbacks. > [@suranyi](#): > > I still have no idea what “Burn Notice” is about, though a lot of people seem to like it. _Burn Notice_ is about a spy who was booted for illegal activity he didn’t commit. So he is trying to find out why he was fired, try to get his job back, and try to get even with the folks who got him fired. Each step of the way getting manipulated by people who want him to do their bidding. Meanwhile, to pass the time and earn a living, he solves problems for people that the authorities cannot or will not deal with in creative ways using his spy skills. You could also mention the dysfunctional family, the awkward relationships with “friends”, and the excuse for explosions. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/titles-with-misleading-connotations/563769/52 "2010-12-14T23:35:51Z")
> [@](#): > > That’s embarrassing. I feel like Marc Antony must have felt like after Octavian tricked Namor into destroying his navy at Actium . . . I wanna hear more about this … ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2010, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/titles-with-misleading-connotations/563769/53 "2010-12-15T05:53:47Z")
> [@Nobody](#): > > I don’t know about their attitudes, but the **Violent Femmes** are (or were) all guys. I see you, and raise you one **Bare Naked Ladies** , who are neither nude, nor ladies. > [@Dr.Rieux](#): > > …and \*that’s \*not incense! Although granted there was a Buddhist prayer… > [@](#): > > Dear Buddha, please bring me a pony and a plastic rocket ---
**Author:** ![Dolly\_Madison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3be4f8/32.png) [@Dolly\_Madison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dolly_Madison)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2010, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/titles-with-misleading-connotations/563769/54 "2010-12-15T21:31:13Z")
> [@whitetho](#): > > In the immortal words of The Simpson’s Nelson Muntz about the movie _Naked Lunch_: “I can think of at least two things wrong with that title!” The Vagina Monologues certainly could qualify too! As my dad would say, “That’s false advertizing!” ---
**Author:** ![Batsinma\_Belfry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@Batsinma\_Belfry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batsinma_Belfry)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2010, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/titles-with-misleading-connotations/563769/55 "2010-12-15T22:07:36Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > _Fried Green Tomatoes_ > > Worse yet, the tagline, "The secret’s in the sauce."One main character barbecues her lover’s husband & secretly feeds him to the town. Yep, that secret. That was just a small part of the plot. If you’ll recall, they owned a cafe’ and Fried Green Tomatoes were the specialty. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/titles-with-misleading-connotations/563769.md?page=2)