Misnomers

A misnomer is a term which suggests an interpretation that is known to be untrue. Here are a few examples:

1. An inchworm is neither an inch long, nor a worm.
2. Greenland is icy and Iceland is greener)
3. Panama hats are not made in Panama, but Ecuador
4. The “lead” in pencils is made of graphite and clay, not lead
5. Northwestern University is in northeastern Illinois, a midwestern state.
6. “Tin foil” is almost always actually aluminum.
7. Catgut is made from sheep intestines.
8. The Hundred Years’ War did not last for 100 years but 116.
9. Head cheese is actually a meat product.
10. “Horny toads” or “horned frogs” are actually lizards.
11. Though a starfish is star-shaped, as the name suggests, it is not a fish.
12. The titmouse is a bird, not a mouse.
13. Jellyfish are not fish.
14. The Washington Redskins play in Landover, Maryland.
15. The New York Jets and New York Giants play in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
16. Scotland Yard is located in England.
17. The “funny bone” is not a bone — the phrase instead refers to the ulnar nerve.
18. During its peak, rush hour often lasts more than an hour, with very little, if any, movement.
19. A parkway is a type of street or road where parking is generally prohibited.
20. A residential driveway is intended for parking.