this post was submitted on 29 Oct 2023
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[–] Tar_alcaran@sh.itjust.works 69 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (3 children)

This is just because English sucks, or English speaking people suck at naming things. Let me show you how it's done:

In Dutch:

Horseshoe crabs are called "dagger crabs", and look what it's dragging behind.

Cuttlefish are called "ink fish", and tadaa.

Jellyfish are "kwallen", which means roughly "annoying person", and they're pretty annoying.

Bald eagles are "American Eagles", you're welcome.

A sand dollar is called a "sea coin", because of where it lives and what it resembles, which is way more accurate.

And a fly is still a fly.

[–] Blubton@feddit.nl 51 points 10 months ago (1 children)

In Dutch, the Common Drone Fly is also called "Blinde Bij", which means "Blind Bee". This is because this animal is neither blind nor a bee and the Dutch are very good at naming things

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[–] PM_ME_FEET_PICS@sh.itjust.works 38 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Animals who do not live up to thier names Dutch edition.

Dagger Crabs - Don't have daggers and not crabs.

Ink Fish - Not actually fish.

Kwallen- Not actually a person.

American Eagles - Found all over Canada and upper Mexico.

Sea Coins - Can't actually be used as coins.

[–] accideath@lemmy.world 28 points 10 months ago (8 children)

Canada and Mexico are still America so I‘d say it does live up to its name

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[–] zeekaran@sopuli.xyz 9 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Canada and Mexico are still part of the Americas.

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[–] thelsim@sh.itjust.works 66 points 10 months ago (3 children)

Secretarybird: refuses to schedule my meetings

[–] thelsim@sh.itjust.works 16 points 10 months ago

Nevermind, I found oneSecretary secratarybird
I'm sorry.. just... so sorry..

[–] NotSpez@lemm.ee 9 points 10 months ago

I really like this one

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[–] MonsiuerPatEBrown@reddthat.com 61 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (2 children)

king cobra - not a true cobra & snakes are largely self-organizing without monarchs

[–] atomicorange@lemmy.world 13 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

We’re more of an autonomous collective!

I like the philosophical implications of the word king in the context of king snakes. For snakes, it just means that their diet consists primarily of other snakes. This implies that to be a king is to be a predator who preys on his own subjects.

[–] bdkmshr@monyet.cc 11 points 10 months ago (2 children)

They're probably anarchist

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[–] Cory_t_@lemmy.world 51 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Animals that live up to their acronym:

  • Goat

Change my mind

[–] HonoraryMancunian@lemmy.world 26 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Animals that live up to their backronym:

  • pig

Pink inquisitive grunter

[–] Siethron@lemmy.world 10 points 10 months ago (1 children)

It's probably a typo but 'backronym' is a great word and concept. Backwards acronym.

[–] abrasiveteapot@sh.itjust.works 26 points 10 months ago

It's a real word. And used correctly in context so unlikely to be a typo.

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/backronym

https://www.wordnik.com/words/backronym

Acronyms were very rare prior to about mid 20thC.

A number of words sound like they should be an acronym or people searching for an explanation of them make backronyms out of them.

Posh and rap being turned into acronyms as per the first like are good examples of a backronym.

[–] Taleya@aussie.zone 32 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Bat (useless as a blunt weapon)

[–] thelsim@sh.itjust.works 16 points 10 months ago (2 children)

A bat bat on the other hand...
bat bat

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[–] electric_nan@lemmy.ml 29 points 10 months ago (6 children)

In my town there's a shop that sells rocks and crystals etc. They also sell sand dollars for $1. That's right, there's a 1:1 conversion rate between sand dollars and USD.

[–] xantoxis@lemmy.world 11 points 10 months ago (1 children)

They probably never change that price either, so it's actually pinned to the dollar.

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[–] theharber@sh.itjust.works 26 points 10 months ago (4 children)

Animals that live up to their names ;

  • Sea cucumber
  • Woodpecker
  • Babadook
[–] AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world 24 points 10 months ago (3 children)

Do babadooks actually dook any babas?

[–] Iapar@feddit.de 13 points 10 months ago

All the time.

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[–] captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works 23 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Animal that does not live up to its name:

cuttlefish - is not a fish

Animal that does live up to its name:

woodpecker

[–] Mr_Blott@lemmy.world 12 points 10 months ago

TIL woodpeckers have a massive wooden cock

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[–] bungle_in_the_jungle@lemmy.world 23 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

This leads me to one of my favourite dad jokes:

What do you call a fly without wings?

A walk

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[–] Knusper@feddit.de 22 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I was wondering, why it's called "vampire squid". I guess, due to this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vampire_squid

[–] SolOrion@sh.itjust.works 9 points 10 months ago

I was actually fine not knowing holy shit that's nightmare fuel.

[–] TryingToEscapeTarkov@lemmy.world 21 points 10 months ago

Praying mantis had me rolling haha.

[–] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 19 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (7 children)

Peacocks have cocks. Peahens do not.

Also:

Spider (doesn't actually spy)

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[–] SharkEatingBreakfast@sopuli.xyz 19 points 10 months ago

Bearded dragons do have beards! Just made of spikes instead of hair.

[–] erusuoyera@sh.itjust.works 19 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Animal that does not live up to its name:

Red Panda. Not Red, not a panda

Animal that lives up to its name:

Sloth

[–] Strawberry@lemmy.blahaj.zone 12 points 10 months ago

Panda bears were actually named that after the red panda, so really it's they who aren't pandas

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[–] Maultasche@feddit.de 19 points 10 months ago (2 children)

I'm pretty sure ca. 50% of peacocks have one.

[–] Citheronia@lemmy.world 28 points 10 months ago (1 children)

actually, all or nearly all peacocks have cocks. the ones that don't are peahens.

[–] Lophostemon@aussie.zone 14 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I was under the impression that male birds do not possess a protruding organ but indeed have a hole too, hence ‘no cock’.

[–] Citheronia@lemmy.world 24 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

didn't think i would be googling "peacock genitalia" today. anyway, you are right. i was confused because I know that ducks have penises, but as I just found out, ducks are actually an exception in the bird world. most birds just kind of rub their holes together. this is sometimes called "cloacal kiss", which is really funny.

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[–] Taleya@aussie.zone 19 points 10 months ago (3 children)

Peacocks actually have no penis whatsoever. Be glad. You give a bird a penis and they get really into rape

[–] MildlyArdvark@feddit.dk 16 points 10 months ago (1 children)
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[–] EmoDuck@sh.itjust.works 15 points 10 months ago (2 children)

AWAIL (A while ago I learned) that butterflies are named that because they like to drink the fatty cream that form atop of fresh milk that's used to make butter.

This also goes for german. The Schmetter in Schmetterling has ethymological connections to Schmalz

[–] ComradePorkRoll@lemmy.ml 12 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Stop trying to make AWAIL happen. It's not going to happen.

[–] EmoDuck@sh.itjust.works 19 points 10 months ago

I tried to. But, alas, to no awail

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[–] kennismigrant@feddit.nl 14 points 10 months ago (4 children)

Bird that does not live up to its name: tit.

Estonian edition (I'm not a native speaker): viinamäetigu. Not related to any alcohol (viin), does not live on mountains (mäe), mostly found outside of vineyards (viinamäe). At least it is a snail (tigu).

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[–] jmer@ttrpg.network 12 points 10 months ago (3 children)

Bald Eagles have no hair. Ergo, bald? /S

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[–] Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world 12 points 10 months ago

Im 99.9% certain that whomever named the ping pong tree sponge was high, drunk or both at the moment of inspiration 😄

The sunfish checks out, though, since it likes sunbathing.

[–] AeonFelis@lemmy.world 11 points 10 months ago

Hermit crab - I would not expect hermits to spend so much time and effort on acquiring bigger houses.

[–] MargotRobbie@lemm.ee 11 points 10 months ago (1 children)

What about a roadrunner? They do occasionally run on roads in real life, so they do live up to their name.

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[–] Strawberry@lemmy.blahaj.zone 10 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Elephant shrew: not an elephant, not a shrew

Golden mole: not a mole

Otter shrew: not an otter, not a shrew

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[–] moistclump@lemmy.world 10 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I can’t believe it’s not butterfly

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