Names are what they are, and as long as they work, they work.

But sometimes in the history of naming, people name things in a manner inapt to their nature or origin. So what’s the story behind words like atom, peanut, and strawberry?

Daniel is unravelling these stories and more on this episode of Talk the Talk.

Listen to this episode

Download this episode

You can listen to all the episodes of Talk the Talk by pasting this URL into your podlistener.

http://danielmidgley.com/talkthetalk/talk_classic.xml

Promo

TtT promo 2019-07-09 with Tom Reynolds: Named Wrong

Daniel and Tom chat ahead of the show about things that got named the wrong thing. What’s the deal with strawberries? Or peanuts? Don’t get us started about pineapples.

Also at https://www.patreon.com/posts/28242669

Patreon supporters

We’re very grateful for the support from our burgeoning community of patrons, including

  • Carolin
  • Chris
  • dcctor woh
  • Lyssa
  • Termy
  • Damien
  • Elías
  • Helen
  • Jack
  • Larry
  • Lord Mortis
  • Matt
  • Michael
  • Sabrina

You’re helping us to keep the talk happening!

We’re Because Language now, and you can become a Patreon supporter!
Depending on your level, you can get bonus episodes, mailouts, shoutouts, come to live episodes, and of course have membership in our Discord community.

Become a Patron!

Show notes

9 Misnomers and Misleading Names | Merriam-Webster
https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/9-misnomers-and-misleading-names/red-panda

28 Misleading Misnomers Explained | Mental Floss
http://mentalfloss.com/article/61691/28-misleading-misnomers-explained

I Am Not What You Say I Am – The Strange Case of Awesome Misnomers
https://www.zmescience.com/other/science-abc/misnomers-science-animals/

The Internet Classics Archive | Cratylus by Plato
http://classics.mit.edu/Plato/cratylus.html

A Brief History of Malaria – Saving Lives, Buying Time – NCBI Bookshelf
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK215638/

Why Do People Get Colds In Cold Weather?
https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2016/12/27/why-do-people-get-colds-in-cold-weather/

List of Types of Berries from A to Z – Gardening Channel
https://www.gardeningchannel.com/list-of-types-of-berries/

Theories on the etymology of ‘strawberry’ | OUPblog
https://blog.oup.com/2015/04/strawberry-word-origin-etymology/

Why the world has so many Guineas
https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2017/09/12/why-the-world-has-so-many-guineas

How to Decipher Guinea Pig Sounds and Body Language
https://www.thesprucepets.com/guinea-pig-vocalizations-and-body-language-1238882

Driveway, Parkway, and Dooryard
https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/driveway-parkway-and-dooryard

Why Do We Keep Using the Word “Caucasian”? – SAPIENS
https://www.sapiens.org/column/race/caucasian-terminology-origin/

Stegosaurus: Bony Plates & Tiny Brain
https://www.livescience.com/24184-stegosaurus-facts.html

A Far-Side Cartoon led to the naming of the Stegosaurus’s tail. | A-Train Sports
https://atrainsports.com/2018/07/30/a-far-side-cartoon-led-to-the-naming-of-the-stegosauruss-tail/

Transcript

We’re working our way back through the archives. If you think we should prioritise a transcript of this episode, let us know!