• Tar_Alcaran@sh.itjust.works
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    73
    arrow-down
    3
    ·
    edit-2
    11 months ago

    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
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      51
      ·
      11 months ago

      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

    • PM_ME_FEET_PICS@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      41
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      11 months ago

      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
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        30
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        11 months ago

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

        • PM_ME_FEET_PICS@sh.itjust.works
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          6
          arrow-down
          18
          ·
          11 months ago

          Nobody refers to Canada or Mexico as America. North America is not America and American is exclusively used to refer to the US.

        • PM_ME_FEET_PICS@sh.itjust.works
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          4
          arrow-down
          9
          ·
          11 months ago

          American doesn’t refer to North America in naming animals or its people. No one from Canada or Mexico call themselves American.