# What man-made objects are referred to by the material they are made of? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 5, 2005, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-man-made-objects-are-referred-to-by-the-material-they-are-made-of/297881 "2005-04-05T18:25:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Scarface\_Z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Scarface\_Z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarface_Z)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-man-made-objects-are-referred-to-by-the-material-they-are-made-of/297881/41 "2005-04-05T23:35:08Z")
> [@OxyMoron](#): > > Another thought: Chewing gum. (Chiclets are a close call, but I assume you don’t want to get into trade names…) Ahem… > [@Scarface Z](#): > > Didn’t gum actually used to be made of gum, like gum from a tree? 😃 These are some iffy ones: Brass instruments, brass section, or is that too broad? There must be others with “brass.” Mints, at least the natural/original ones were made from mint. Diamonds are called rocks, slangily. Furs (like a mink coat) are made of animal hides. Opium is a close one. It is made from the opium poppy, but we don’t call the drug “poppy.” Crystal, as in a fine crystal vase. I think that’s a good one. I was going to say that glass can refer to cubic zirconium, but that’s made of aluminum silicates, not glass. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Purl_McKnittington)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-man-made-objects-are-referred-to-by-the-material-they-are-made-of/297881/42 "2005-04-05T23:43:11Z")
> [@OxyMoron](#): > > Lead, in four ways: sinkers used in fishing, pencil innards (although usually made from carbon), window frames, and a thin line in typesetting. Forgive me if I’m wrong, but I thought that pencil lead was never actually made out of lead (Pb)? They were instead made out of graphite, which is carbon. I think you’d be hardpressed to write something with Pb, especially considering how valuable it’s been for most of history. How about sponges or loofahs? Catgut? Kentucky Fried Chicken? **gotpasswords** , as far as I know, my reeds are still made out of, um, reed. There are plastic reeds, yes, but they are far less common than ones made out of reed. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-man-made-objects-are-referred-to-by-the-material-they-are-made-of/297881/43 "2005-04-05T23:56:48Z")
Good call on sponges. As for reeds, are they still found in the wild, so to speak, or are they “farmed” for musical use? For all we know, lead might have been valuable because it could be used for writing. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2005, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-man-made-objects-are-referred-to-by-the-material-they-are-made-of/297881/44 "2005-04-06T00:05:37Z")
**Brass** : As slang for military officers, it’s metonymy for their brass insignia of rank. But even closer is the fact that the brass plaques showing coats of arms, bas relief faces, etc., that are posted above the burial sites of people interred within churches, are called “brasses.” **Lead** , as in pencils: Owing to visual and tactile similarities, lead may mean graphite as well as element 82. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2005, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-man-made-objects-are-referred-to-by-the-material-they-are-made-of/297881/45 "2005-04-06T00:12:41Z")
> [@Si Amigo](#): > > They are also referred to as “skins” because they were originaly (and I think maybe still are available) made of lambs skin. Nope, most comdom companies such as [Trojan](http://shop.store.yahoo.com/buyinprivate/trojnatlamco1.html) say they are made from lamb membrane. It’s actually the lambs small intestines. [Here is more info.](http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/1835.html) ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2005, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-man-made-objects-are-referred-to-by-the-material-they-are-made-of/297881/46 "2005-04-06T00:16:59Z")
How about the **ivories** as in piano keyboard. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2005, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-man-made-objects-are-referred-to-by-the-material-they-are-made-of/297881/47 "2005-04-06T02:27:38Z")
Several dies and paints are named after their principal ingredient: cadmium yellow, cobalt blue, indigo, rose madder, sienna, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2005, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-man-made-objects-are-referred-to-by-the-material-they-are-made-of/297881/48 "2005-04-06T02:28:48Z")
Linoleum is made from linseed oil. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2005, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-man-made-objects-are-referred-to-by-the-material-they-are-made-of/297881/49 "2005-04-06T02:48:24Z")
How 'bout lead as in “Eat lead, copper!” as in bullets. Also, bullet cartridge xases are called brass. Wooden legs? Woolens, from wool rubbing alcohol Black Velver Jesuses piano ivories greeting and playing cards the iron horse alligator shoes ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2005, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-man-made-objects-are-referred-to-by-the-material-they-are-made-of/297881/50 "2005-04-06T03:01:35Z")
Canadian nickels used to be 100% nickel. Now they are an alloy, I think the same one as US nickels, but I’m not sure. Another one for iron: tire irons. Someone suggested ‘pigskin’ for a football, but footballs were never made of that. They originally were made of a pig bladder, but for some reason no one calls them a pig bladder… ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2005, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-man-made-objects-are-referred-to-by-the-material-they-are-made-of/297881/51 "2005-04-06T04:07:12Z")
It’s a little-known fact that the Great Wall of China is actually constructed out of fine porcelain. It’s also the only man-made object referred to by the material it is made from that is visible from outer space. ---
**Author:** ![jdc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@jdc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jdc)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2005, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-man-made-objects-are-referred-to-by-the-material-they-are-made-of/297881/52 "2005-04-06T04:12:47Z")
Steel = Sharpening Steel for knives. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2005, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-man-made-objects-are-referred-to-by-the-material-they-are-made-of/297881/53 "2005-04-06T11:42:58Z")
Diplomas are sometimes called “sheepskins.” Paintings are often called “oils” or “acrylics,” depending on the type of paint that was used. The paints themselves are also called “oils” or “acrylics,” based on their ingredients. And a drawing can be a “pastel” or a “pen and ink,” etc. Violin (and other) strings are often called “catguts,” though I hope none of them still contain any actual gut of cats. Dentures are sometimes referred to as “ivories.” “Neon” lights may or may not contain actual neon. Some pickles are “dills” (or “kosher dills”), because that’s one of the herbs/spices used in their production. Is the “chrome” on a car still made of chromium? Bread can be known by the type of grain in contains, e.g. “ham and swiss on rye.” Audio cassettes (and sometimes even digital media) are called “tapes.” Cotton clothing is called “cottons.” ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2005, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-man-made-objects-are-referred-to-by-the-material-they-are-made-of/297881/54 "2005-04-06T13:09:38Z")
> [@Number](#): > > It’s a little-known fact that the Great Wall of China is actually constructed out of fine porcelain. It’s also the only man-made object referred to by the material it is made from that is visible from outer space. It’s a less known fact that millions of apples were consumed during the construction of New York, hence its name “the Big Apple”. This is the only man-made fruit that is visible from outer space. ---
**Author:** ![OxyMoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9a140/32.png) [@OxyMoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OxyMoron)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2005, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-man-made-objects-are-referred-to-by-the-material-they-are-made-of/297881/55 "2005-04-06T13:26:47Z")
And here I thought the only man-made fruit was Rocky (as in Horror)… ---
**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:** [April 6, 2005, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-man-made-objects-are-referred-to-by-the-material-they-are-made-of/297881/56 "2005-04-06T14:26:29Z")
> [@pravnik](#): > > Fishsticks? Actually most fish sticks are made with pollock, an actual fish. It’s an interesting phenomenon that the most widely consumed fish is one that most people couldn’t name. ---
**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:** [April 6, 2005, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-man-made-objects-are-referred-to-by-the-material-they-are-made-of/297881/57 "2005-04-06T14:30:21Z")
> [@Dooku](#): > > How 'bout resin - the kind used on the bow of a string instrument? String players use _rosin_ on their bows. Which reminds me that violinists often refer to the non-wooden part of the bow as the “horsehair,” even if it’s made from a synthetic substance. And the strings are often referred to as “catgut,” when, so far as I know, there is never any cat involved – it’s either made from sheep’s intestines or some synthetic material. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2005, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-man-made-objects-are-referred-to-by-the-material-they-are-made-of/297881/58 "2005-04-06T14:31:47Z")
**box**. Of course, now they’re made of anything, but the word **box** comes from their being made of boxwood. ---
**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:** [April 6, 2005, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-man-made-objects-are-referred-to-by-the-material-they-are-made-of/297881/59 "2005-04-06T14:35:08Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > quill: a pen made from a quill “Pen” itself is from the Latin for “feather.” As has been noted in a recent thread about saxophones, “woodwinds” are often made from metal or plastic, particularly saxophones, flutes, and clarinets. Miniatures used for table-top wargaming or role-playing games are “leads,” even if they’re made from something other than lead. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2005, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-man-made-objects-are-referred-to-by-the-material-they-are-made-of/297881/60 "2005-04-06T14:59:26Z")
> [@bup](#): > > Of course, now they’re made of anything, but the word **box** comes from their being made of boxwood. Correct. And I’d allways assumed boxwood was named because people made boxes out of it. Silicon Chips are made of chips of Silicon, and you are all using them right now. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-man-made-objects-are-referred-to-by-the-material-they-are-made-of/297881.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-man-made-objects-are-referred-to-by-the-material-they-are-made-of/297881.md?page=4)