Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => Plant Sciences, Zoology & Evolution => Topic started by: blakestyger on 25/06/2008 19:41:19

Title: Gross misnomers
Post by: blakestyger on 25/06/2008 19:41:19

In the Sedgewick (geology) museum in Cambridge is an articulated, full skeleton labeled Giant Irish Elk. A palaeontologist said to me "In pleistocene terms it is not giant, it is certainly not Irish (found locally) neither is it an elk".
There is a small bird in local reedbeds called a Bearded tit; it is not bearded (it has a marking like a moustache) and it is not a tit, it's a reedling.

Any others?

Title: Re: Gross misnomers
Post by: DoctorBeaver on 26/06/2008 08:40:01

Great Yarmouth!  [:D]

Title: Re: Gross misnomers
Post by: LeeE on 26/06/2008 13:48:56

There's the Slow Worm, which isn't a worm, and the Koala Bear, which isn't a bear...

Title: Re: Gross misnomers
Post by: DoctorBeaver on 26/06/2008 15:47:24

The Honey Badger isn't a badger - it's a type of weasel.

Title: Gross misnomers
Post by: LeeE on 26/06/2008 23:52:13

Yeah, and it's closer to being a weasel than Yarmouth is to being great.

Apologies to anyone from Gt. Yarmouth - only saying that for the laugh.  As it happens, one of the most entertaining W/Es I've ever had started at Scratby, so obviously, we ended up in Yarmouth [;D]

Title: Gross misnomers
Post by: DoctorBeaver on 27/06/2008 07:52:45

Scratby is just 1 big caravan park.

Did you detour through Caister on your way to Yarmouth?

Title: Gross misnomers
Post by: LeeE on 27/06/2008 14:42:43

Heh - I don't remember exactly which route we took - it was a combination of walking & bus.  The W/E was an end of season drink-up for our local pool league (pool table, rather than swimming pool) so we weren't very sober most of the time.  We were sharing the site with some sort of cowboy festival too, which lead to some rather surreal encounters on the way back from the bar.

Title: Gross misnomers
Post by: DoctorBeaver on 27/06/2008 20:47:54

Did the cowboys "spur" you on?

Title: Gross misnomers
Post by: Bored chemist on 28/06/2008 17:51:56

The lord privy seal isn't a lord, privy or seal. I'm a civil servant so perhaps I should object to the assertion that we aren't civil and don't serve.

Title: Gross misnomers
Post by: DoctorBeaver on 28/06/2008 20:33:28

The Naked Scientists aren't  [:D]

Title: Gross misnomers
Post by: LeeE on 29/06/2008 13:38:09

Are you suggesting that they're not scientists after all?

Title: Gross misnomers
Post by: DoctorBeaver on 29/06/2008 22:27:33

Who, me? (https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbestsmileys.com%2Fpeeping%2F5.gif&hash=1e9f8650eb48469756477f6b8d647e75)

Title: Gross misnomers
Post by: Bored chemist on 30/06/2008 19:52:14

Maybe they were sugesting that "the Naked Scientists" aren't a gross misnomer.

Title: Gross misnomers
Post by: Alan McDougall on 01/07/2008 08:45:53

                      Panda Bear
              That is not a bear but a large Weasel

Title: Gross misnomers
Post by: Bored chemist on 01/07/2008 19:29:56

"Wimbledon final" They do it every year so it's not really final. Same for most sports "finals".

Title: Gross misnomers
Post by: Alan McDougall on 02/07/2008 02:26:32

                      Kaola bear
            That is not a bear but a Marsupial

                       

Title: Gross misnomers
Post by: DoctorBeaver on 02/07/2008 21:28:30

Cock robin  [:I]

Title: Gross misnomers
Post by: Make it Lady on 02/07/2008 21:49:22

French Letter

Title: Gross misnomers
Post by: rosalind dna on 02/07/2008 22:01:40

A VW Beetle is not a real beetle/insect but a car.

Title: Gross misnomers
Post by: LeeE on 03/07/2008 01:22:27

Crazy paving is neither mentally unstable nor really annoyed.