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| 3 | %% Please keep the examples alphabetized. Thanks. |
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| 9 | [[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/CloudyWithAChanceOfMeatballs https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/babybrent.jpg]]]] |
| 10 | [[caption-width-right:350:He’ll soon be 27 years old.]] |
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| 12 | %% Caption selected per above IP thread. Please do not replace or remove without discussion in the Caption Repair thread: |
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| 15 | ->''"I should mention that we have some male members. But the name 'Cursed Princess Club' was already well established, so we just never changed it. It's mostly because I already had a lot of T-shirts printed with that name."'' |
| 16 | -->--'''Calpernia''', ''Webcomic/CursedPrincessClub'' |
| 17 | |
| 18 | This is for when something was initially named, and that name made sense, but something about the object has changed so that the name doesn't make sense anymore. |
| 19 | |
| 20 | Like the Chestnut and Elm streets of many United States cities. They had said trees when they were first named but now, they mostly don't, due to diseases wiping out said trees from the area or urban development removing almost all vegetation. |
| 21 | |
| 22 | Sister trope to ArtifactTitle, which is this, but for work titles. |
| 23 | |
| 24 | OneExtraMember is a subtrope, for groups initially named after its number of members, but gets more members and invalidates the name. |
| 25 | |
| 26 | A subtrope of NonIndicativeName. Can occur due to LanguageDrift. |
| 27 | |
| 28 | In some cases something was a NonIndicativeName all along, but something else has changed that also makes it an Artifact Name, usually requiring two parts to a name. For example, a "green dragon" has its color redefined as "blue" over time, but was initially named knowing that it's not "dragon"-y, such as in cases of CallASmeerpARabbit. |
| 29 | |
| 30 | ---- |
| 31 | !!Examples: |
| 32 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 33 | |
| 34 | [[folder:Anime and Manga]] |
| 35 | * In ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'', many of the so-called "Hidden Villages" are massive cities whose locations are well-known to the general public. They can still be considered "hidden" in the sense that they're surrounded by something that separates them from the rest of the world (the Hidden Leaf Village, Konoha, is in the middle of a forest, for example), but in the state they're in when the story takes place, they can in no way be considered mere villages anymore. |
| 36 | * ''Manga/OnePiece'': Robin received the epithet "Demon Child" when she became wanted by the government at the age of 8. She's still referred to this way by her enemies during the story proper even though she's already in her late 20s by the time of her introduction. |
| 37 | * ''Manga/YuGiOh'''s "Duel Disks" were originally throwing disks that projected holograms onto the playing field. Since Battle City and in every spinoff since, Duel Disks are armbands with card slot attachments. |
| 38 | [[/folder]] |
| 39 | |
| 40 | [[folder:Comic Books]] |
| 41 | * ''ComicBook/{{Batgirl}}'': Stephanie Brown originally operated under the superhero identity of the Spoiler. Her name and ''modus operandi'' came from her relationship with her father, the Cluemaster, who was [[CriminalMindgames a B-grade Riddler knockoff]]. Stephanie grew to despise her father and his criminal ways, so she would go out and leave clues to help Franchise/{{Batman}} and ComicBook/{{Robin}} catch him, "spoiling" his crimes. However, Stephanie quickly branched out into crimefighting beyond her father and she no longer did any "spoiling", she would directly intervene and fight crime herself. She retained the name for years, not counting her brief tenure as the fourth Robin, and there became such a disconnect between her current activities and her original actions that even a lot of her fans did not know where her identity came from. In 2009, following the death of Batman, [[LegacyCharacter she inherited the Batgirl title from]] Cassandra Cain and the Spoiler identity was laid to rest. When she came back post-Flashpoint, she was back to her original motivation of spoiling her father's crimes. |
| 42 | * ''ComicBook/GhostRider'': Only in Brazil, due to DubNameChange: It was translated as Motoqueiro Fantasma (Ghost ''Biker''). As Johnny Blaze and Danny Ketch versions ride motorcycles, it fits them well. Then came the Robbie Reyes version, riding a ''muscle car'', but the translator kept the "Ghost Biker" name. |
| 43 | * ''ComicBook/IronMan'': Tony Stark's armor hasn't had much iron used in its construction for decades, but the name is iconic. Even Tony [[LampshadeHanging will regularly point this out]]. |
| 44 | * {{Discussed|Trope}} in ''ComicBook/{{Invincible}}''. When Robot disbands the "teen team" because he's joining the Guardians of the Globe, he points out that the name would've become inaccurate within a couple years anyway. |
| 45 | * The ComicBook/MartianManhunter's name came from his earlier appearances, where he appeared in ''Detective Comics'' and his main gimmick was that he was an investigator who was also an alien in disguise. As the Silver Age kicked into full gear, he was retooled into a more conventional superhero, and the detective side of his character fell out of focus almost completely. The "Manhunter" side of his name is now rather incongruous, and even seems a bit malevolent to some readers now that it isn't associated with detectives and investigators anymore. |
| 46 | * When Creator/JackKirby and Creator/JoeSimon created the Newsboy Legion in MediaNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks, they were so called because they were orphans who sold newspapers to earn a living. This had become an anachronism in later years, which was addressed in several different ways: |
| 47 | ** When Kirby introduced their identical sons in MediaNotes/{{the Bronze Age|of comic books}}, they were also known as the Newsboy Legion, even though they'd never sold a paper in their lives, and were far more defined by living in a genetics lab. |
| 48 | ** The ComicBook/PostCrisis incarnation of the Legion were clones of the originals (the sons didn't exist in this continuity), and they ''still'' didn't sell papers. |
| 49 | ** Creator/WalterSimonson tried to bring them up-to-date in ''[[ComicBook/NewGods Orion]]'' as the News''group'' Legion, a term later used by [[Characters/SupermanJimmyOlsen Jimmy Olsen]] (although it wasn't revealed if he was talking about the same kids). |
| 50 | ** In Creator/GrantMorrison's ''ComicBook/SevenSoldiersOfVictory2005'', the Newsboy Legion is the ''Manhattan Guardian'''s army of amateur reporters. |
| 51 | ** Season 3 of ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice2010'' reimagined the group as young news livestreamers, with Tommy, Gabby, and Big Words getting {{Gender Flip}}ped and Scrapper recast as their adult companion in the vein of the Guardian. |
| 52 | * The name of the ComicBook/XMen foes "The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants" became a bit obsolete when Magneto was recharacterized as a WellIntentionedExtremist as opposed to a CardCarryingVillain. Usually, they justify it by Magneto intentionally invoking ThenLetMeBeEvil. Some versions have just been called "the Brotherhood of Mutants". |
| 53 | [[/folder]] |
| 54 | |
| 55 | [[folder:Fan Works]] |
| 56 | * Originally {{Kink Meme}}s only allowed nsfw prompts, usually less vanilla ones as the name implies. Nowadays almost all active kink memes allow sfw prompts. If anything, most of the prompts are perfectly clean (in terms of sexuality, [[DarkFic maturity]] is another thing). Kink memes are more like "prompt memes" but they're still referred to as their original title. |
| 57 | * ''Fanfic/{{Luminosity}}'': An InUniverse example in the short story "Molly": the titular character, a human girl [[RaisedByTheSupernatural raised by vampire parents]], uses the screen name "ultravioletcolorblind" in reference to the fact that [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampires can see ultraviolet]]. Later, when she's turned and sees the color for the first time, she immediately thinks that she's going to have to change the name. |
| 58 | * The Wobbuffet Dojo in ''Fanfic/PokemonMysteryDungeonWhatCameAfter'' was owned by Gallade's grandfather, who was a Wobbuffet, but his will stipulated that the name or appearance (the dojo was built to look like a Wobbuffet) could not be changed after his death, much to the embarrassment of Gallade, who inherited it. |
| 59 | * ''Fanfic/PokemonResetBloodlines'': While it once lived up to its name, Gringy City is now quite a nice place after extensive revitalization. |
| 60 | * A good description of the situation in the post-''Film/SpiderManNoWayHome'' fic "[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/36694024/ Spiderman: A Way Back Home]]", when the Harry Osborns of the other worlds arrive in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse. Peter and his allies refer to the two Harrys as 'Harry-Two' and 'Harry-Three' to link them to the alternate Peter Parkers he has met previously, even though there is no 'Harry-One' equivalent. |
| 61 | * The StealthParody author Creator/SueMary, as one might guess, originally started as a ParodySue-abundant writer. Most of her output ended up actually parodying {{Troll Fic}}s.[[invoked]] |
| 62 | [[/folder]] |
| 63 | |
| 64 | [[folder:Fashion]] |
| 65 | * Numerous high-fashion brands are increasingly blending the boundaries between underwear and outerwear, a trend that began in the years following UsefulNotes/WorldWarI with swimsuits that resembled undergarments. Despite being advertised as "underwear," the bra-tops and matching bottoms that can resemble shorts, bikini bottoms, or thongs are technically intended to be pajamas. High-end fashion houses such as Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Versace, and Dior have been at the forefront of this trend, showcasing collections that blur the lines between intimate apparel and everyday wear. |
| 66 | [[/folder]] |
| 67 | |
| 68 | [[folder:Films -- Animation]] |
| 69 | * In ''WesternAnimation/CloudyWithAChanceOfMeatballs'', Brent is the living mascot of Baby Brent Sardines, a company that specalizes in canned sardines. "Baby" Brent is a hard choice to call him in the present day, as he's still performing stunts for the company as a [[FormerChildStar full grown adult]], complete with diaper. Later on in the film, he takes a whole chicken as a battle trophy and starts calling himself "Chicken" Brent. |
| 70 | * In ''Franchise/KungFuPanda'', the Furious Five are still called like that after the [[WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda1 first movie]] despite the fact that SixthRanger Po has joined the team so they are no longer five members. It makes a bit more of sense in ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda3'' where Po becomes the new master. |
| 71 | * In ''WesternAnimation/{{Up}}'', Kevin the bird is still called thusly even after Dug reveals she's female. |
| 72 | * In ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'', 4*Town was originally a four-man band before their fifth member joined, but they kept their original name. |
| 73 | [[/folder]] |
| 74 | |
| 75 | [[folder:Films -- Live Action]] |
| 76 | * ''Film/BackToTheFuture1'' |
| 77 | ** In 1955, Lou's Café is a café owned by Lou Caruthers. By 1985, it has become Lou's Aerobic Fitness Center and, given his age in 1955, Lou, if he's still alive, is probably no longer the actual owner of the building (or if he is, he's just collecting rent money). |
| 78 | ** Twin Pines Mall (or Lone Pine Mall, depending on which timeline you're in) was named after the tree farm which used to exist on the land. Twin Pines Ranch being changed to Lone Pine Ranch after Marty ran over one of the display trees is an example of averting this trope, resulting in the irony that the name later becomes the artifact anyway when the mall is built. |
| 79 | * ''Film/TheBlueLagoon1980'' has the KissingCousins' baby named Paddy, which is a carryover from the [[Film/TheBlueLagoon1949 1949 film]] [[TheFilmOfTheBook based on]] [[Literature/TheBlueLagoon the same book]][[note]]In the original book, the cousins' baby is named Hannah[[/note]]. |
| 80 | * In the ''Film/IronMan1'' film, the titular character's codename fits his first two armors, Mark I and Mark II. To fix Mark II's issue about freezing in high altitude, Tony Stark built the Mark III armor using a titanium-gold alloy, but he kept the codename Iron Man because he considered it cool. |
| 81 | * ''Film/TheHungerGames'': Prim's cat is named Buttercup. In the books, she named him that because his coat matches the yellowish flower. In the film, however, he has been changed into a piebald cat, so it no longer makes sense. {{Retcon}}ned in [[Film/TheHungerGamesCatchingFire the second film]], where Buttercup suddenly becomes a ginger cat. |
| 82 | [[/folder]] |
| 83 | |
| 84 | [[folder:Literature]] |
| 85 | * ''Literature/AChristmasCarol'': Ebenezer Scrooge's business still goes by the name Scrooge and Marley even though [[DeadToBeginWith Jacob Marley's died by the time the story starts]]. [[TheScrooge Scrooge]] claims that this is because changing the name would be an unnecessary expense. |
| 86 | * In the children's short story ''Genius Jones and Fat Cat'', this is subverted with the eponymous cat's name. She starts out chubby, and so is named, but then she [[TemporaryBulkChange turns skinny]]... but then she regains the weight she lost. |
| 87 | * ''Literature/GiantsSeries'': The names for the Lunarians and Ganymeans are both artifact names based on the place the first specimens of either species were discovered. Either of them could be called Minervans. |
| 88 | * Creator/IsaacAsimov: |
| 89 | ** ''Literature/FoundationSeries'': The [[LandOfOneCity Mayor of Terminus]] was a title for the civilian leader of the town that grew up to support the Encyclopedia Foundation. As Terminus' influence grows, [[RisingEmpire they govern more and more planets]], and will eventually be the civilian leader of the [[GalacticSuperpower Second Galactic Empire]]. Their title, however, remains "Mayor of Terminus". |
| 90 | ** "{{Literature/Evidence}}": InUniverse, despite society changing to [[OneWorldOrder a single world-wide government]], the company Dr Calvin works for is still known as United States Robots and Mechanical Men Corporation. The collection ''Literature/IRobot'' explicitly makes the United States of America part of the Northern Region of the world government. |
| 91 | ** "{{Literature/Profession}}": At the end of the story, George asks about an InUniverse example: Olympics Day. The UsefulNotes/OlympicGames referred to the Greek city of Olympus, but they're now held yearly and involve demonstrations of Professional skills. Trevelyn and others on Earth use the Olympics to get companies/planets to notice their skills and get more prestigious hiring offers. |
| 92 | ** ''Literature/WordsOfScienceAndTheHistoryBehindThem'': |
| 93 | *** The entry for "Atoms" explains that the word comes from the Greek "atomos", which means "not divisible", based on the idea that these particles could not be broken down into anything smaller. In 1896, this assumption was disproven. |
| 94 | ---->Now, man's whole future hinges upon the manner in which atoms break up and fuse together and on the behavior of particles smaller than atoms. But still the name is atom--"indivisible". |
| 95 | *** The entry for "Chromatography" explains that the word comes from the Greek "chroma" for colour and "graphein" for writing. It is a method of separating compounds with powders or paper, but is now performed for mostly colourless compounds, making the name no longer indicate the reading of pigments. |
| 96 | *** The entry for "Colloid" explains that the word comes from the Greek for "glue". It was originally a contrast to crystalline compounds, but the substances have been proven to crystallize, making its intended meaning of "not crystals" inaccurate. |
| 97 | * Soylent Green in ''Literature/MakeRoomMakeRoom'' was initially named as such due to being made from soy and lentils. Thanks to ''Film/SoylentGreen'' and its AdaptationDisplacement, most will now think of Soylent Green as having more to do with [[spoiler:[[TheSecretOfLongPorkPies cannibalism]].]] |
| 98 | * In the kids' book ''Literature/MrCat'', the cat still has that name even after she's revealed to be female. |
| 99 | * ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'': |
| 100 | ** The Seven Kingdoms. Once upon a time, there really were seven independent kingdoms in Westeros, but following Aegon's Conquest and years of diplomacy, all of them were united as a single monarchy, with the Targaryen dynasty at the top. Hence why the newbuilt capital is called King's Landing instead of Emperor's Landing. Even after the Targaryens were deposed, the seven continue to recognize a single authority from King's Landing, at least until the War of the Five Kings cause the North and the Iron Islands to secede. |
| 101 | ** The War of the Five Kings is accurate when it is first named, since there are five kings or pretenders involved (Joffrey Baratheon, Renly Baratheon, Stannis Baratheon, Robb Stark, and Balon Greyjoy). By the events of ''Literature/ADanceWithDragons'', however, only one of them is still alive, with three more added, meaning the total number of kings or claimants stands at eight (not including Daenerys Targaryen, who also claims the Iron Throne but is still busy in Essos). |
| 102 | * ''Literature/TalesOfKaimere'': Fabadonts, an endemic class of Tetrapods from the First Dynasty, were named by Assembky naturalists after they were first identified by bean-shaped tooth fossils from their prehistoric origins. Centuries later after further fossils along with [[NotSoExtinct living descendants]], describing Fabadonts solely by their teeth now seems ridiculous compared to their beaks, their wide skull and stalked eyes, and their ThirdEye in the center of their face. |
| 103 | [[/folder]] |
| 104 | |
| 105 | [[folder:Live Action TV]] |
| 106 | * ''Series/ThirtyRock'': The ShowWithinAShow is named "The Girlie Show," until Tracy Jordan is hired, at which point it becomes "TGS with Tracy Jordan." |
| 107 | * ''Series/{{Arrow}}'': In season 5, Oliver recruits five new members to his team, they were referred to in-universe as The Recruits and New Team Arrow. In season 6, the remaining recruits, Curtis, Dinah, and Renee, have a major split that puts them in opposition with Original Team Arrow (Oliver, Diggle, Felicity). However, they are often still referred to as New Team Arrow both in-universe and out. Curtis eventually suggests "ComicBook/{{The Outsiders|DCComics}}" but at the end of season 6, it hasn't caught on and they don't seem to have an official name. |
| 108 | * The [[HumongousMecha Zords]] in ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' were named after TheMentor of the [[Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers original team]], Zordon. Despite his HeroicSacrifice at the end of ''Series/PowerRangersInSpace'', they still call their machines and robots "Zords" for no real reason. |
| 109 | ** Though the Shogun Zords from season 3 and Cosmic Fury Zords from season 30 both came from a planet called Zordnia. It's possible that they were never named after Zordon at all, but that planet instead. Everything the Mighty Morphin rangers knew about aliens had become public knowledge by the time of Lost Galaxy, which started with the Astro Megaship being used as a Power Rangers museum, so that would explain even teams like Lightspeed Rescue (which was entirely Earth-tech) using the Zord name. |
| 110 | * On ''Series/{{Angel}}'', the gang opted to keep using the name "Angel Investigations" after Angel quit the agency. When a client asked which of them was Angel, Wesley answered that it was "just a name." |
| 111 | * Pied Piper, the main company in ''Series/SiliconValley'', had that name because it was originally a music app. Its compression algorithm is quickly discovered to be far more lucrative than the program it was created for, so the company pivots. It's said more than once that "Pied Piper" is not a very good name. |
| 112 | * The title band on ''Series/Girls5Eva'' was named that because of their five-member lineup. When they reunite, one member has passed away, leaving them to continue as a quartet. |
| 113 | * ''Series/LazyTown'': [=LazyTown=] used to live up to its name. But thanks to Stephanie and Sportacus, it doesn't anymore. As the song suggests, "No One's Lazy in [=LazyTown=]." |
| 114 | * ''Series/TheSopranos'': The series centres predominantly around the members of the [=DiMeo=] crime family. However, no member of the biological [=DiMeo=] bloodline appears on the show or has even been part of the organization for years; Ercole [=DiMeo=], the family's founder, had been in prison with a life sentence for about four years by the time the series begins. |
| 115 | * ''Series/DoomPatrol2019'': Since her parents Mr. and Mrs. Spinner (who were retroactively revealed to be her adoptive parents in John Arcudi's run on [[ComicBook/DoomPatrol the comic]]) are AdaptedOut due to the change of [[RelatedInTheAdaptation Niles Caulder being her father]] and [[CanonForeigner an immortal cavewoman named Slava]] filling in the position of her unidentified birth mother, there is little reason for this continuity's interpretation of Dorothy Spinner to still have Spinner as her established surname. |
| 116 | [[/folder]] |
| 117 | |
| 118 | [[folder:Music]] |
| 119 | * “Alternative rock” was originally a category describing rock bands who were outside the commercial mainstream, often releasing albums on independent record labels and getting more airplay on college radio stations than traditional rock and pop radio. The rise of {{grunge}} in the early 1990s brought alternative rock bands into the mainstream and eventually to artifact name status as “alternative” became the dominant form of mainstream commercial rock music in the United States, such that by the mid-90s the week-to-week song rankings on Billboard Magazine’s alternative rock chart (called “Modern Rock Tracks” at the time) and its mainstream rock chart were virtually identical. |
| 120 | * Many British and American post-punk and synthpop bands that originally debuted in the late 70s and early 80s are still labeled as “New Wave” bands, even though none of the groups from that era who are still active are exactly “new” anymore. |
| 121 | * The Bayside Boys were a producer/remixer duo most famous for creating the hit remix version of "Macarena" (their main addition was the English-language verses). One of them had the idea to turn them into a full recording act and recruited a female singer, meaning that the Bayside Boys were no longer a group of boys. |
| 122 | * Music/ElectricLightOrchestra was originally conceived in 1970 as a rock band with classical instruments and sounds — an electrified light orchestra, hence its name. The reed and french horn players left the group during the recording of their second album while the role of the string section decreased over the years, rendering the "light orchestra" part of their name more and more moot. By the release of ''Time'' in 1981 the string players were also gone, with the four remaining band members playing standard rock instruments and any classical sounds in their new songs being created with synthesizers. It's probably not a coincidence that they were more commonly known by their initials than their full name during this period. |
| 123 | * Music/FatJoe has lost about 200 pounds since he first gave himself his rap name. |
| 124 | * The Five Man Electrical Band hasn’t actually had five members since drummer Mike Bell and bassist Brian Rading both left in 1973, reducing the band to only three. The current version of the group has [[OneExtraMember six members]] who still play a handful of live concerts every year. |
| 125 | * Even though guitarist J. Geils quit Music/TheJGeilsBand following a legal spat in 2012, the rest of the group would continue touring as The J. Geils Band until they retired in 2015, without the person it was literally named after. |
| 126 | * Music/PizzicatoFive had five members for their debut EP, ''The Audrey Hepburn Complex''. Then one guy left, and they were never again officially a five-piece band. At the time of their greatest international success, they were a trio, then a duo, but their original name stuck. |
| 127 | * Music/SecretChiefs3 was a trio on their first EP and album, with all three members contributing equally to songwriting. Then two of them had to limit their involvement due to other commitments, and the remaining guy, Trey Spruance, [[IAmTheBand basically became the band]]--though he brought in a rotating cast of musicians to help bring his ideas to life. If the name were supposed to accurately represent the number of permanent band members, then they'd be "Secret Chiefs 1"; if it were supposed to reflect the number of musicians playing on a given album, then it would vary from "Secret Chiefs 5" to "Secret Chiefs 21". |
| 128 | * Music/{{Eminem}}'s rap name was something he came up with as a member of Soul Intent, a defunct white rap group he was a part of in his late teens and early 20s. All the members of the group had candy-themed names or aliases (e.g. DJ Butter Fingers). Eminem, of course, ended up being the breakout member, but the context for his name is now lost. |
| 129 | * Pretty much any band of youngsters identified as "boys", "girls" (maybe less so), or "kids" (i.e. Music/BackstreetBoys, Music/TheBeachBoys, Music/NewKidsOnTheBlock) where the members have grown up automatically becomes this. It happened to Music/SonicYouth long before their hiatus and will apply to Youth Group (whose biggest hit to date is a cover of Alphaville's "Forever Young") if they ever emerge from their own hiatus. |
| 130 | ** Sixty-something soft-rock duo George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam are still mostly known as Music/BoyMeetsGirl. |
| 131 | * Occasionally, a musician from a band that has broken up will join a new band, and that band will use the old band's name to take advantage of the name recognition and/or record contract. Happened notably with Music/{{Scorpions|Band}} in the early 1970s and Music/AliceInChains[[note]]Lead singer Layne Staley was originally part of a HairMetal band called "Alice N' Chains". When he later formed a new band, he adopted the former name with some minor changes[[/note]] in the late 1980s. |
| 132 | * Some Chilean bands had one more member than the title suggest because the last member joined shortly after the original inception and [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg the rest weren't too keen to change it]]: |
| 133 | ** "Banana 5" are 6 members |
| 134 | ** "Los cuatro cuartos" (The four quarters) are 5 members. |
| 135 | ** "Los Tres" (The three) were 4 members. |
| 136 | * The Russian band 5sta Family (originally spelled 5ivesta Family) started out with five members: [=CoolB=], V-kes, Tony, Loya, and Sandrik. Shortly before the band's rise to popularity, Tony and Sandrik left, and the band has been a trio ever since. |
| 137 | * Music/TheAllmanBrothersBand, after the death of Duane Allman in a 1971 motorcycle accident, only had one Allman Brother. Since Gregg Allman died in 2017, any reunion under that name would be even more of an artifact--in fact, a reunion band of assorted surviving members have simply called themselves "The Brothers". |
| 138 | * The last time Average White Band (of "Pick Up the Pieces" fame) had an all-white line-up was in 1974, before their breakthrough album ''AWB''. |
| 139 | * Country music duo Baillie & the Boys had only one "boy" in it after Alan [=LaBoeuf=] left in 1990, leaving just the [[CreatorCouple husband-and-wife duo]] of Kathie Baillie and Michael Bonagura (as pictured on that year's ''The Lights of Home''). This name remained until [=LaBoeuf=] rejoined in 1998 (although Lance Hoppen and Roger [=McVay=] substituted in concerts until then). |
| 140 | * Minor example/possible aversion: Music/{{Blondie|band}} was so named because there were two other blonde singers present for their early rehearsals, [[ThePeteBest both of whom left before they ever played live or recorded anything]]. This has resulted in a lot of IAmNotShazam moments for the remaining blonde singer Debbie Harry. |
| 141 | * Music/TheChemicalBrothers were originally The Dust Brothers before the American production duo of that name (Music/{{Beck|Musician}}, Music/{{Hanson}}) threatened legal action. Their first album is called ''Exit Planet Dust'' in reference to this. The song "In Dust We Trust" retained its title even though it was no longer self-referential. |
| 142 | * Country Joe & The Fish, best known today for the protest song "I Feel Like I'm Fixing to Die Rag", were originally a duo of Joe [=McDonald=] and Barry "The Fish" Melton. They kept the name even as they added others as full members. |
| 143 | * An interesting example comes in the form of punk band Dillinger Four. Their name was originally The Young Dillingers after a name they saw in a record sleeve under the Thank You list. When it turned out to be the name of a local gang they changed it Dillinger Four. At the time of naming, they only had three members so it was just a silly joke. Then they added a second guitarist and the joke just sort of became a normal name. |
| 144 | * Well-known New York rapper Fat Joe lived up to his name in his early days, but after the death of his close friend and frequent collaborator Music/BigPun in 2000 from complications stemming from obesity, Fat Joe began to take controlling his weight seriously and later took on an impressive weight loss journey. Though he is still larger than the average man, it would be a gigantic stretch to claim that he is still 'fat' as a point of notoriety. |
| 145 | * Music/{{Five}} are a bizarre version. The two members that made the band famous (J and Abs) refused to take part in their reunion, thus rendering it a three-person band still named Five. |
| 146 | * GRIMMS were a pop/comedy band formed in 1971 by members of the Scaffold, the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, and the Liverpool Scene; the band's name was formed from the initials of original core band members John Gorman, Andy Roberts, [[Music/TheRutles Neil Innes]], Mike [=McGear=] (Music/PaulMcCartney's brother), Roger [=McGough=], and Vivian Stanshall. However, Stanshall left the band in 1972 and [=McGear=] followed a year later so that only four of the members referred to in the band name were left in the band by their breakup in 1976; moreover, after their first two performances, the band expanded to include many additional members not referenced in their name.[[note]] Nine, to be exact, though not all at once. Adrian Henri, Brian Patten, Michael Giles, John Megginson, and George Money contributed to the first album, ''Grimms''; Henri, Giles, and Money left in 1973 and were replaced by David Richards, Peter Halsall, and Gerry Conway for the second album, ''Rockin' Duck'', while Patten left in 1974 and Halsall and Conway left in 1975 to be replaced by Timmy Donnell for the third album, ''Sleepers''.[[/note]] |
| 147 | * Music/GunsNRoses is named after Tracii Guns and Axl Rose. [[ThePeteBest The former]] was fired by [[IAmTheBand the latter]] after missing rehearsals a mere two months into the band's existence, being replaced by Slash. |
| 148 | * Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds was a soft rock trio composed of Dan Hamilton, Joe Frank Carollo, and Tommy Reynolds. The group continued to use its original name even after Reynolds was replaced by Alan Dennison. |
| 149 | * Russian rave band Music/LittleBig started out as a quartet with included two little women (hence, the name reflected the contrast in size between the members of the band). As of 2018, both have left and no new little people joined the band, yet the name remains. |
| 150 | * The Mandarins were founded in 1963 as an all-Asian drum and bugle corps. Today, corps membership comes from all ethnic groups. |
| 151 | * When Music/Maroon5's keyboardist Jesse Carmichael took a leave of absence from the band in 2012, the band replaced him with P.J. Morton. Carmichael returned to the band after two years, but Morton remained, meaning that Maroon 5 became a six-piece, now a seven-piece following touring guitarist Sam Farrar promoted to being an official member. |
| 152 | * [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami_Boys_Choir The Miami Boys Choir]], an Orthodox Jewish pop group, moved to New York in its first few years, but never changed its name. |
| 153 | * [[Music/{{Slowdive}} Mojave 3]] only remained a trio for a mere two years before they were joined by two other members. |
| 154 | * GothRock band Mono Inc. were named for their original lead singer, Miky Mono, who left the band in 2006 and died in a paragliding accident in 2010. |
| 155 | * Creator/{{Motown}} Records, named after Detroit's nickname "Motor City", hasn't been based in Detroit since 1972. It's now headquartered in Los Angeles. |
| 156 | * [[http://www.omggband.com/omgg.cfm OMGG]], a bluegrass band particularly notable for the fact that its bandmembers have all been playing since they were quite young - the name stands for "Obviously Minor Guys and a Girl". The oldest already isn't particularly "obviously" minor, and soon enough none of them will be. |
| 157 | * The R&B and disco duo Peaches & Herb, originally consisting of Francine "Peaches" Hurd Barker, who adopted her childhood nickname for her music career, and Herb Fame. When Francine retired from the band as a live performer in 1968 and altogether in 1970, Herb would continue the group with other female vocalists adopting the "Peaches" name despite their lack of a personal connection to it. "Shake Your Groove Thing", the duo's biggest hit, was recorded with Linda Greene as the band's third Peaches. |
| 158 | * Music/ThePianoGuys primarily do piano and cello duets, but they were named after a piano shop. A few songs have just the cello without any piano at all. |
| 159 | * This might be the best way to explain the stage name of singer Music/{{Pink}}. When she first started, she actually had [[http://images.contactmusic.com/videoimages/sbmg/pnk-there-you-go.jpg pink hair]]. However, as time has gone by, she has changed it to blonde. Although, she says her stage name came from Mr. Pink in ''Film/ReservoirDogs'', so it's possible that the hair was only dyed pink to explain the name, instead of the name coming from her hair. |
| 160 | * Music/PizzicatoFive did start out as a band with five members, but that lineup didn't last long. They were a three-piece group when they got their BreakthroughHit, and for most of the period of their greatest international success, they were a duo. |
| 161 | * The Pointer Sisters kept the name even though the two of the sisters have been replaced by [[BandOfRelatives the daughter and granddaughter of the remaining sister]], none of whom legally have the surname "Pointer" but both perform with that surname. |
| 162 | * Secret Chiefs 3 started out as a trio but kept the "3" in the name once they became [[IAmTheBand Trey Spruance and a usually much larger, revolving-door lineup]]. |
| 163 | * The "classic" Emo[[note]]In its original definition, see the entry above[[/note]] band Sleepytime Trio started out as a trio, but added a fourth member not too long after formation, and were a four-piece for almost their entire existence, yet they kept the name anyway. |
| 164 | * Music/SnoopDogg's stage name derives from Snoopy, a cartoon dog. When he briefly changed his name to Snoop Lion, the "Snoop" part became an artifact. |
| 165 | * Space Twins were originally a duo consisting of [[{{Music/Weezer}} Brian Bell]] and Susan Fox, who would dress up in ''Franchise/StarTrek''-inspired uniforms and pipe-cleaner antennae and perform for children's birthday parties. First they dropped the costumes and became a trio, then expanded further into a quartet. Though the "space" part of their name started making sense in a less literal way when they started incorporating more PsychedelicRock influences. |
| 166 | * SSQ were named for their lead singer Stacey Swain, who went by the stage name Stacey Q. They continued using the SSQ name [[TheBandMinusTheFace after she split with them]], though [[ZigzaggedTrope she has recently rejoined the group]]. |
| 167 | * Subverted by the Thompson Twins. A trio at the height of their popularity (they had anywhere from four to six members in their early years), they became a duo after bassist Joe Leeway left. |
| 168 | * Music/{{TLC}}'s name became this following Left Eye's 2002 death. |
| 169 | * Japanese PowerMetal band Music/{{Versailles}} found out when they tried to perform in the US that there was already an American band named "Versailles" and changed their name to Versailles Philharmonic Quintet--a name which became awkwardly inappropriate after bassist Jasmine You's sudden death in 2009. While promoting their second album, they [[http://i46.tinypic.com/25umkg1.jpg continued to use]] the Versailles Philharmonic Quintet name despite only having four members. The name became accurate again when support bassist Masashi joined the band proper in late 2010. |
| 170 | * Any genre named "New [something]": |
| 171 | ** ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ars_nova Ars Nova]]'', literally "[[TheNewRockAndRoll New Art]]," is the name that was given to a style of music that was developed in the early 14th century, to distinguish it from the earlier Medieval ''Ars Antiqua''. The "''Ars Nova''" label stuck among music scholars to the present day, despite not having been anything like "new" for about [[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld 700 years]] now. |
| 172 | ** Bossa Nova means "new beat" in Portuguese, but it hasn't been new since the 1960s. |
| 173 | ** New Age Music is more of a marketing term. Very few artists labelled as "New Age" actually have any connection to "NewAge" religions. Some of them even reject the label and propose replacements like "Folk Ambient" or "Instrumental Chillout". |
| 174 | *** The name came from the attention given to some of its early stars—Andreas Vollenweider, Kitaro, and the Windham Hill artists—in the pages of ''New Age Journal''. |
| 175 | ** {{New Wave|Music}} peaked in the 1980s and certainly isn't new anymore. It is also worth noting that the term was used in the UK to refer to guitar-led pop music that wasn't punk, while in the US it was used to refer to groups that the UK would call synthpop. |
| 176 | * AlternativeRock used to be a less-known alternative for the more mainstream sounds at the time of their origin. Nowadays it's the dominant form of rock, and the name is pretty much synonymous with "modern rock." As with "indie" mentioned below, the term reflected these artists being released on independent record labels and played on CollegeRadio, but with alternative's mainstream breakthrough in TheNineties, "alternative" is more an aesthetic than anything else. |
| 177 | * Much mainstream "CountryMusic" is contemporary pop or rock with a steel guitar and a singer with a twang. There's still a few successful artists that adhere to a more traditional sound, though. |
| 178 | ** The very genre name "country music" has been a bit of a misnomer for a while now, since after UsefulNotes/WorldWarII the big, sophisticated city of UsefulNotes/{{Nashville}} became the genre's permanent home base. |
| 179 | ** Very few these days refer to Country and Western music. Mostly those who would use the old saying, "I like both kinds of music, Country and Western." |
| 180 | * {{Dubstep}} got its name after "Dub", an offshoot of {{Reggae}} known for its emphasis on various studio effects (most notably reverb) as well as the bass, and "2-step", a subgenre of UK Garage that eschews the four-on-the-floor rhythm in favor of a more jittery, irregular beat. While [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GdFXT-2XnI early dubstep tracks]] fits this name well, the "-step" part gradually became obsolete as producers leaned towards half-time beats (half the tempo of regular 2-step) and put more emphasis on "dub-" (sparse, reverb- and bass-heavy sound) [[note]]listen to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEJG9L-n_tE this example]] and compare to the previous one[[/note]]. Eventually, the "dub-" part also became obsolete, as the genre drew influence from HeavyMetal and PostHardcore and became much more aggressive and noisy (what many people today think of as "dubstep" was after this transition), to the point where many old fans would much rather call the new sound a completely different name (such as brostep or filthstep). |
| 181 | * Music/{{Emo}}. Originally used to refer to a less violent and confrontational, more personal type of hardcore punk that was emerging in Washington, D.C. in the 80s, the term is derived from "emocore", which itself was short for "emotional hardcore". Today, "emo" is used to describe a type of music that is barely distinguishable from pop-punk, and the fashion style and the association with any mental state other than "constantly happy". It is notable that some modern-day fans who [[OlderThanTheyThink don't know the history of the genre]] mistakenly believe it's short for simply "emotional". |
| 182 | * Funk carioca sounds almost nothing like traditional funk. Thing is, back in the 1970s, funk and soul were hugely popular in Rio's favelas. But as a new music style[[note]]derived from Miami bass, Latin freestyle, and gangsta rap[[/note]] grew popular and supplanted it, people kept calling the parties "funk balls". |
| 183 | * HeavyMetal changed drastically after Music/VanHalen and the NewWaveOfBritishHeavyMetal. Early 70's bands such as Music/UriahHeep, Mountain, and Music/AliceCooper were considered to be HeavyMetal bands, but the term has changed to mean something different than what these bands sounded like. Today they're usually counted as HardRock. |
| 184 | ** The earliest metal bands like Music/BlackSabbath used various tempos including slow tempos. Later they started down-tuning instruments to create music that often felt slow and heavy, so the name "heavy metal" fit. However, subsequent sub-genres would progressively ramp up the speed, and many did not down-tune, to the point where it wasn’t so slow and "heavy" anymore. Simply using "metal" as an umbrella term to refer to all sub-genres alleviates this somewhat, but even that word alone carries connotations of being slow and heavy that doesn’t necessarily apply to all metal genres. |
| 185 | ** For that matter, the same thing happened to PowerMetal (the original name for speed metal, now the name for a style that tends to focus on dramatic instrumentation, fantasy themes, and symphonic elements) and ThrashMetal (which used to mean progressive speed metal with clean vocals, whereas the modern equivalent is often closer to '80s death metal). |
| 186 | ** From an instrumental standpoint, most MelodicDeathMetal has more in common with PowerMetal, ThrashMetal, and/or the NewWaveOfBritishHeavyMetal than DeathMetal these days. The HarshVocals are usually closer to the high-pitched rasps and shrieks of BlackMetal, too (although some bands still use death metal-style growls). |
| 187 | * Indie: Even when the band is on a major label, their genre is still short for 'independent'. (However, "indie rock" can also be used to denote a genre, specifically a lo-fi and mellow strain of alternative rock.) |
| 188 | * Pop: These days if a ballad is released without any rock overtones, country twang, or heavy soul influence, it's pop music, regardless of whether it is "popular" or not. |
| 189 | * Pop [insert-genre-here] ends up sounding more pop than that genre. Fast. |
| 190 | * ProgressiveRock originally got its name from the "progressive" FM radio stations it was played on in the U.S. These were so-called because the [=DJs=] would, between playing the bands' latest ''magna opera'', spend almost as much time as the songs themselves took to discuss politics from a progressive (i.e., very leftist) perspective. The name for the subgenre has remained even as the stations became increasingly all about the music, and even as FM radio of the early 1970s evolved into today's classic-rock format. |
| 191 | * In the '60s, RAndB music stood for rhythm & blues music and was often applied to blues rock groups. Over the decades, it evolved into its present term: soul-influenced pop music. This has had the controversial side-effect of labeling (and pigeonholing) all black pop singers as R&B even if soul isn't their style. |
| 192 | * Rock-n-Roll initially referred to what we would call "pop music" today: music that's popular with young people. But over the years, rock became its own distinct genre. This has led to pedantic whining whenever discussions of rock-n-roll include pop, R&B, hip-hop, EDM, and so on, such as when artists from these genres are inducted into the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame. Their inclusion is true to the ''original'' definition of rock-n-roll rather than how rock is defined now. |
| 193 | * TrapMusic got its name after "trap houses", which in Atlanta slang mean places where drugs are manufactured and/or sold. As the genre exploded in popularity worldwide in the 2010s, the drug connotation is gradually diluted. |
| 194 | [[/folder]] |
| 195 | |
| 196 | [[folder:New Media]] |
| 197 | * The term "New Media" itself was first used in the late 1990s by media companies to describe their then-new divisions producing or repackaging content for the Internet (or in some cases, video games). It's been decades since then, during which time the Internet has for some of them become the dominant or even only medium. |
| 198 | * Website/TVTropes itself, as we haven't been strictly about television for years. |
| 199 | [[/folder]] |
| 200 | |
| 201 | [[folder:Puppet Shows]] |
| 202 | * In ''Series/TheMuppetShow'', there's a character in the orchestra called Trumpet Girl because, logically enough, she plays the trumpet. Except that once Lips was introduced in the final season as the main trumpet player, she moved to the trombone, and in ''Film/TheMuppets2011'', she plays the clarinet. Creator/RashidaJones, who puppeteered her in the movie, named her Dolores, but officially, she's still Trumpet Girl. |
| 203 | * ''Series/SesameStreet'': |
| 204 | ** In his original appearances, Telly Monster was obsessed with watching TV, hence his name. [[CharacterizationMarchesOn Over time, he'd grow out of this trait]], but the name remains. |
| 205 | ** Baby Bear is still named that even though he's no longer a baby. There was actually an episode where he tried to rename himself Not-a-Baby Bear, but it didn't stick. |
| 206 | [[/folder]] |
| 207 | |
| 208 | [[folder:Tabletop Games]] |
| 209 | * Generally speaking, the concept of "rolling up a character" comes from early roleplaying games, when stats were decided with dice rolls. However, the term has stuck so well that it's often used to refer to character creation in tabletop [=RPGs=] and video games even when no actual rolling of dice is involved. |
| 210 | * ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'': The pseudodragon was named in 1st Edition, when it was the only "false dragon" that looked like a true dragon without being one. But subsequent bestiaries have placed it in an entire family of [[ShoulderSizedDragon dragonets]] - including fire drakes, FairyDragons, and other small, dragon-shaped creatures - so calling that particular specimen a "pseudodragon" makes less sense. Then 3rd Edition gave the pseudodragon the new Dragon creature type, making the name even more inaccurate. |
| 211 | [[/folder]] |
| 212 | |
| 213 | [[folder:Toys]] |
| 214 | * ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'': |
| 215 | ** In Japanese media, the leader of the Autobots used to be called Convoy rather than Prime (which was supposedly because the name "Optimus Prime" was hard for Japanese children to pronounce). While this made sense for Optimus and later Rodimus (as both turned into {{Big Badass Rig}}s), this name did not make sense when Autobot leaders who did not turn into trucks started getting introduced after the conclusion of G1 in Japan. For example, [[WesternAnimation/BeastWars Optimus Primal]] was also referred to as Convoy despite the fact he turns into a gorilla[[note]]Though he does have an armored transport mode in his Optimal Optimus form[[/note]]. Other examples of characters named Convoy who did not turn into trucks include Lio Convoy[[note]]Leo Prime[[/note]] (lion), Big Convoy (mammoth), Reverse Convoy (tank), Nitro Convoy[[note]]Override[[/note]] (race car), Flame Convoy[[note]]Scourge[[/note]] (dragon), Live Convoy[[note]]Evac[[/note]] (rescue helicopter), and Megalo Convoy[[note]]Metroplex[[/note]] (gigantic excavator). Following the release of ''Film/Transformers2007'', Japanese media began following the English media in naming the Autobot leaders Prime instead of Convoy, though the name Convoy does continue to show up in merchandise and media geared towards older collectors. |
| 216 | *** Speaking of Optimus Primal, he is shaping up to be the only Maximal leader to use the Primal title rather than Prime, though this is obviously to differentiate him from Optimus Prime. Meanwhile, fellow Maximal leader Lio Convoy's English name is Leo ''Prime'' instead of Leo Primal. |
| 217 | ** Depending on continuity, Fortress Maximus's name might not make much sense. While he is normally a Titan which entails that he turns into a city, in the [[ComicBook/TheTransformersMarvel Marvel G1]] Continuity he is just a regular (if slightly large) Transformer, though he later rebuilds himself to a much bigger scale. Similarly, in the [[Anime/TransformersHeadmasters Japanese G1]] and [[ComicBook/TheTransformersIDW IDW]] Continuities, he is a regularly sized Transformer, albeit one who functions as a MetaMecha by being able to pilot a Titan-sized body (though the IDW version also functions as the warden of [[TheAlcatraz Garrus-9]] to provide an alternative explanation for his name in this continuity). |
| 218 | ** Bluestreak is called such because the Diaclone toy he's based on was blue. Despite this, his toys are often painted red, and he's depicted as such in the various media. |
| 219 | [[/folder]] |
| 220 | |
| 221 | [[folder:Video Games]] |
| 222 | * In ''VideoGame/BloonsTowerDefense'', towers named after the projectiles they throw tend to have an upgrade that makes them stop shooting the projectile they're named after. |
| 223 | ** The Dart Monkey ceases to throw darts once they get the Spike-o-Pult (and Juggernaut after it). |
| 224 | ** The Boomerang Monkey can exchange its boomerangs with ''Film/{{Krull}}'' glaives. |
| 225 | ** The Dartling Gunner stops shooting darts when upgraded to Tier 3 and above. |
| 226 | ** The Tack Shooter ceases to shoot tacks when upgraded past Blade Shooter or Ring of Fire. |
| 227 | * The ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' games have this with the Dragoon job, which in the games is a foot soldier who specializes in spears and jumping attacks. Historically, dragoons were early cavalry armed with blunderbusses that were called "dragons" due to how they appeared when fired (and frequently decorated to look like dragons, to boot). When the class first started to appear in English, it got stuck with a NonIndicativeName because the original Japanese name of DragonKnight ran afoul of CharacterNameLimits. Between the obscurity of the actual profession, the widespread success of the franchise, and the fact that one of the series' top [[EnsembleDarkhorse Ensemble Darkhourses]] has the job and did so back when said name limits were in force, the name has stuck with only [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX one attempt]] to use the original name. It helps that the artifact name is at least evocative of their abilities. |
| 228 | * In the backstory of the ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'' games, the United Nations served as [[UnitedNationsIsASuperpower the main force organizing the Earth's extrasolar colonization efforts]], establishing a military wing known as the United Nations Space Command (UNSC). By the time the series begins, they've long-since reformed into the [[OneWorldOrder Unified Earth Government]], but the UNSC keeps its original name out of tradition. |
| 229 | * Wolfos from ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' are a double example of this: |
| 230 | ** Their name has the "-fos" suffix that generally denotes the more humanoid monsters in the series. This made sense in the N64 games where they were more anthropomorphic, but less so where their later appearance has changed to look like natural wolves. |
| 231 | ** White Wolfos were originally named that to distinguish them from their basic grey kin. They retain their full name in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess Twilight Princess]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSpiritTracks Spirit Tracks]]'', despite being the only kind of Wolfos encountered there. |
| 232 | * In ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter3Tri'', Moga Woods is named the Deserted Island in Guild documents such as quest files, as the island's human population is supposed to have evacuated the island due to a series of unnatural earthquakes [[spoiler:caused by Ceadeus]] (but a few strings are pulled in order to allow the villagers to stay). The name might've made sense in this game and its UpdatedRerelease ''Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate'' where Moga Village is the player's base of operations and they're trying to stop the earthquakes so that the villagers can stay safely, but in ''3 Ultimate''[='=]s village High Rank campaign, the source of the earthquakes has been eliminated (as a result of the Low Rank campaign) and the evacuation order has been called off, yet the map is still officially called Deserted Island. Weirder yet, characters from Moga appear in ''VideoGame/MonsterHunterGenerations'' and their dialogue makes it no secret that Moga is still thriving and it's implied that some time has passed since the earthquakes, yet the game ''still'' refers to the Moga Woods as the Deserted Island. |
| 233 | * ''VideoGame/SaintsRow'': The Third Street Saints gang's name in the original ''VideoGame/SaintsRow1'' was a PunnyName referring both to their HQ in an old church of the Stilwater's Saints Row district and to their claim to being the "good guys" in the Stilwater underworld, [[VigilanteMan fighting for the common people against the actual criminal gangs]]. In the [[VideoGame/SaintsRow2 second game]], they lose their hold of Saints Row and, after a change in leadership, abandon any pretense of goodness to become just another (albeit extremely persistent) power-hungry gang. The [[VideoGame/SaintsRowTheThird third game]] takes place in an entirely new city, and the next two leave Earth altogether, so by the time of ''VideoGame/SaintsRowGatOutOfHell'', they aren't really "Saints" in anything but a self-applied moniker. |
| 234 | * ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'': |
| 235 | ** Amy's name [[AerithAndBob stands out]] amongst a cast of characters like "Sonic", "Knuckles", "Shadow", "Cream", and "Blaze". The only major FunnyAnimal character with a similar name is Miles Prower, who goes by the name [[OnlyKnownByTheirNickname Tails]]. Amy's oddball name is because she [[CanonImmigrant originates]] from an early [[Manga/SonicTheHedgehog manga]] where [[EarlyAdaptationWeirdness most of the cast had regular names like "Nicky" and "Polly"]]. Amy was transferred over without much of a name change. She was briefly called "Rosy the Rascal" during the 1990s but this was discarded with ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure''. |
| 236 | ** The MechaMooks of the main villain being called "Badniks" made more sense when he was referred to as "Dr. Robotnik" ([[VideoGame/SonicAdventure2 later specified to be his birth name]]) than now, when he goes by his supervillain alias, "Dr. Eggman". |
| 237 | * In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemPathOfRadiance'', Reyson, has an ability called "Canto" which allows him to give adjacent allies an ExtraTurn. The word comes from Italian where it means "to sing", which made sense because the units were refreshed by his heron MagicMusic. However, ''VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn'' gave the name "Canto" to a different skill that allows mounted units to move after performing an action, likely due to a translation error.[[note]]The Japanese name for the Canto in ''[=PoR=]'' is 再行動, meaning "act again", while the one in ''RD'' is 再移動, meaning "move again". It's theorized that the translators got them mixed up due to the similarity, especially since the herons' MagicMusic could now do more than give an ExtraTurn and their skill was renamed to 呪歌謡い, approximately meaning "magic singer", so "再行動" was no longer an existing skill name that might've helped them to catch the mistake.[[/note]] This led to the fan community to refer to all instances where mounted units could move after performing an action as "canto". As a result of fan usage, it officially became an artifact when the mechanic returned in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemHeroes'' and ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThreeHouses''. However, the artifact was retired in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemEngage'', which replaced the word with the similar-sounding and more appropriate "Canter", a horse gait whose speed is between a trot and a gallop, referencing the fact that it was exclusive to Emblem Sigurd, a cavalry unit from ''VideoGame/FireEmblemGenealogyOfTheHolyWar''. |
| 238 | * ''{{Franchise/Pokemon}}'': |
| 239 | ** The name of the franchise and the creatures themselves, Pokémon or Pocket ''Monsters''. It comes from the fact they were originally going to be violent and monstrous beings resembling kaiju. The kaiju inspiration was dropped, with most Pokémon being based on animals rather than monsters, and a large percentage of them [[RidiculouslyCuteCritter looking downright adorable,]] yet they're still referred to as monsters. |
| 240 | ** The National Pokédex is called such because it was originally used across the various regions in the games, all of which were set in the same nation (that is, the Pokémon world's version of Japan). However, the series has moved away from Japan since then, to the point we've had regions situated in the the side of the world; yet the National Pokédex is still known as that. |
| 241 | [[/folder]] |
| 242 | |
| 243 | [[folder:Webcomics]] |
| 244 | * The eponymous ''Webcomic/CursedPrincessClub'' was originally named when they just included princesses with {{Curse}}s. But they have since inducted members such as Saffron, a [[TheOneGuy prince]] with a cursed EvilHand, and main character Gwendolyn, a princess who is not cursed (granted, her [[FaceOfAThug ugly appearance]] is sometimes characterized by others as a "curse" because of how problematic it is for her, but that's not the connotation of the word the club's name originally implied). [[spoiler:And then Gwen's fiancé Frederick, who is neither cursed nor a princess, joins as well.]] Calpernia, the founder and president of the club, says it's mostly because the club's T-shirts already had the name "Cursed Princess Club" printed on them. Saffron is eager to change the name but is constantly overruled. |
| 245 | [[/folder]] |
| 246 | |
| 247 | [[folder:Web Original]] |
| 248 | * Sophist of the WebVideo/PartyCrashers used have "Sophisticated Eevee" as his username, so his friends would naturally refer to him as simply "Eevee" for short. However, he has since shortened his username to just "Sophist", effectively dropping the Eevee subname. He explains in [[https://twitter.com/sophisteevee/status/1410864732622426112?s=46&t=LD_Rrj7GC49d5wFrHt1fLg this tweet]] that he did this to make himself more unique and recognizable, distancing himself from some random ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' character. Yet despite the name change, the others still frequently refer to him as "Eevee" to this day. |
| 249 | * ''Website/{{Serina}}'': The ancestral gravedigger species is so named because of its distinctive habit of killing prey using spiked pit traps. None of its three descendant species alive during the Ocean Age retains this habit -- thalassic gravediggers and icefishers both hunt sealife using implements such as fishing lines, nets and harpoons, while savage gravediggers lack both the resources and intelligence for any kind of tool use -- but retain the collective moniker used for their ancestors. |
| 250 | [[/folder]] |
| 251 | |
| 252 | [[folder:Western Animation]] |
| 253 | * ''WesternAnimation/DinkyDog'' was this in-universe, when the titular pooch, a cute little pup, "grew, and grew, and grew... and GREEEEEW!", eventually becoming the size of a horse. His owners cheerfully [[LampshadeHanging point out]] "Now he's not a dinky doggy anymore! Oh, NO!", but the name (ironically) still sticks. |
| 254 | * [[ZigZaggingTrope Zig-Zagged]] with ''WesternAnimation/{{Droopy}}''. When Droopy first debuted in the [[WesternAnimation/TexAveryMGMCartoons Tex Avery short]] ''WesternAnimation/DumbHounded'' (Ironically, he wasn't called "Droopy" on screen until [[WesternAnimation/SenorDroopy his fifth cartoon]]), his name was a MeaningfulName since he had a droopy face. As a result of ArtEvolution, Droopy fell into this, as in most of [[LaterInstallmentWeirdness his final cartoons]], his face was no longer "droopy". However, modern appearances and adaptations of him have brought back his droopy face, making his name meaningful again. |
| 255 | * In ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'', the recurring antagonist [[KillerRobot "Coyote"]] is an example. He got his name because he was originally a RidiculouslyHumanRobot who disguised himself as David Xanatos and styled himself as the [[SixthRanger sixth member]] of "The Pack", an [[AnimalThemeNaming animal-themed group]] that already included a "Fox", "Wolf", "Hyena", "Jackal" and "Dingo". He eventually ditched the human disguise and abandoned the Pack to serve as Xanatos' henchman full-time, but he never stopped calling himself "Coyote". [[note]] WordOfGod indicates that he was also slated to be a major antagonist in the planned spin-off ''Gargoyles 2199'', which would have taken place long after the Pack's death--making his name even more of an artifact.[[/note]] |
| 256 | * The vast majority of modern versions of ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse'' aim to be at least somewhat more mature than the original cartoon and toys, often extensively so. But no matter how mature He-Man as a franchise tries to be, it still has to feature a main character named He-Man, something that'd never fly for a franchise meant to be taken remotely seriously. To say nothing of Fisto, Clawful, Buzz-Off, or Two-Bad. |
| 257 | ** The same can be said about ''WesternAnimation/SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPower'', which deconstructs many elements from the original cartoon, yet it features character with names such as Mermista, Catra or Double Trouble. It's most apparent with Bow the archer, when Bow's dads [[WhoNamesTheirKidDude never wanted him to be an archer anyway]]. |
| 258 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'': Rusty Spokes' name is a pun on bicycles, due to him being introduced as part of a bicycle gang whose other members had similar puns in their names. Given that this aspect was dropped after his first appearance with him instead being part of Lincoln's friend group, the pun began to lack relevance. |
| 259 | * ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': |
| 260 | ** Downplayed with Fluttershy. She derives her name from a G3 pony who was named for being a "shutterfly", i.e. a photography enthusiast, which the G4 version is not. She does, however, flutter (she's not very good at flying), and is [[ShrinkingViolet very shy]]. |
| 261 | ** The Crystal Empire doesn't seem to live up to its name anymore. While the geopolitics of this world are a bit ambiguous, in the story's present it is a minor kingdom at best, and possibly an Equestrian subject state. 1000 years ago, however, it was very much an expansionist empire, based on what we see of Sombra's rule (though it was ruled by a king, not an emperor). |
| 262 | ** Discord, described as a "spirit of chaos and disharmony", made his first appearance in the opening episodes of season 2, where he thrived on [[TheCorruptor corrupting ponies]] and driving rifts between them. When he was eventually brought back [[EnsembleDarkhorse by popular demand]], he made a HeelFaceTurn. While he [[ReformedButNotTamed certainly remained chaotic and unpredictable]], since he was no longer specifically a destroyer of friendships, the name "Discord" became a bit of a misnomer. |
| 263 | * ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow'' has a character named Muscle Man that is a short, overweight, green-skinned guy. While some characters assumed that it was an IronicNickname, an episode revealed that he actually used to be a bodybuilder in the past. |
| 264 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' has an InUniverse example with the family's cat, Snowball II. [[PosthumousCharacter The original Snowball]] was white, but Snowball II, a black cat, appears to have been simply named for her predecessor with no reference to her appearance. |
| 265 | * ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'': In Season 13, Cartman started dressing up as a superhero named "the Coon," and he later assembled a superhero team with the other kids named "Coon and Friends." He’d eventually get kicked out of the group for beating up two of the other members, but they still kept the name even after he left. |
| 266 | -->'''Toolshed:''' Mysterion, if Cartman's gone, why are we still calling ourselves "Coon and Friends?"\ |
| 267 | '''[[TheCowl Mysterion]]:''' Because it pisses Cartman off beyond belief, and I find that [[NotSoAboveItAll (chuckles)]] ''extremely'' funny. |
| 268 | * ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'': The Hive Five did indeed start out with five members, but after they become six, they still keep the name. When Kid Flash asks why, the only justification Billy Numerous can come up with is that "Hive Five" sounds cooler than "Hive Six". |
| 269 | * In ''WesternAnimation/VeggieTales'', Mr. Nezzer, full name Nebby K. Nezzer, was named as such because he took the place of Nebuchadnezzar in the Bible story which marked his first appearance. He kept the name for the remainder of the series despite having no narrative connection to Nebuchadnezzar at any other point. |
| 270 | ** This is true of several other characters, whose role in their first appearance is assumed to be their real name and identity. Miss Achmetha was originally a minor character from the Esther story (a beauty pageant contestant from Achmetha, to Esther's Miss Babylon) and, despite being one of the more versatile characters in the series, is still identified as Miss Achmetha in the credits. |
| 271 | [[/folder]] |
| 272 | |
| 273 | [[folder:Real Life]] |
| 274 | * Norway rats, also known as Norwegian brown rats, are so-called because they were believed to have arrived in England on a Norwegian boat. They're still called that, despite the fact that historians have discovered that it was likely a Danish boat. |
| 275 | * The names of the last four months of the year in the Roman calendar. When the months were first named, the calendar had only 304 days divided into ten months, with the remaining 61 days (all on winter) weren't considered part of any month. Therefore, the year began in March, and the last six months were all named after their their order in the calendar.\ |
| 276 | Later, the months of January and February were created out of the monthless period and added to the beginning of the calendar, which made, for example, September (literally, "the seventh month") into the ninth month, October ("the eighth month") into the tenth, and so on. |
| 277 | * The names of the months of the UsefulNotes/{{Islam}}ic calendar were inherited from a lunisolar calendar that was used by the pagan Arabs, and thus predated Islam. Many of these months reflected fixed seasonal changes, such as Rabi' al-Awwal ("the beginning of spring"), Ramadan ("parchedness", because it fell in the middle of summer), and Shawwal ("carried/pregnant", because camels usually got pregnant during this month). However, Literature/TheQuran made the calendar purely lunar and forbade the usage of leap months, so the months end up cycling throughout the seasons, therefore the meanings were rendered obsolete (e.g., Ramadan can now fall at any season, not just summer). |
| 278 | * Back when the Strait of Malacca was named, Malacca was the most important port -- and the Strait, the most important waterway -- in the region. While, indeed, the latter still today holds true (and it is one of the most important in the ''world'', right with the Suez and Panama canals), the former does not: Malacca's port lost importance when [[UsefulNotes/TheDutchPortugueseWar the Dutch conquered the city from the Portuguese in 1641]] and diverted the local hub port to Batavia (today's [[UsefulNotes/{{Indonesia}} Jakarta]]); when the Dutch ceded it to the British in 1824, who would later go on to found UsefulNotes/{{Singapore}} and make ''that'' the local hub port, Malacca saw whatever remained of its importance fade. Nowadays Malacca is little more than a tourist town and fishing port. |
| 279 | * The origin of the name ''tercio'' ("one third"), given to the pike-and-shot armies of the Spanish Empire, remains a mystery even in Spain, but all the available theories share the common ground that it was a reference to some trait they lost over time. Some claimed the name reflects that ''tercios'' were originally composed by three kinds of troops, specifically pikemen, arquebusiers and swordsmen, before the last ones were phased out and other kinds were added; others claim they were named that way because at first they were only three ''tercios'', those stationed in Lombardy, Naples and Sicily, which became extensive to all additional armies that were developed afterwards; and others claim ''tercios'' were originally composed by 3,000 soldiers before it became optional and variable. |
| 280 | * Speaking of Spain, the Spanish Flu is so named because [[FalseCause Spain reported the most cases, creating the illusion that the disease came from there or that Spain was particularly affected by it]]. The disease was actually spreading in other countries, but the media in those countries couldn't report their cases due to censorship during UsefulNotes/WorldWarI, and as Spain was a neutral country, the Spanish press wasn't under the same restrictions. Its ultimate origin is unknown, but the first known cases were actually reported in the United States. |
| 281 | * Basketball was named that way because the inventor of the game used peach baskets as makeshift goals. By the early 1900s the "basket" had been replaced with a metal hoop, some netting and a backboard, but the original name stuck. In some languages, the hoop is still called a basket. |
| 282 | * Sports teams that have relocated sometimes don't change their nickname, which made more sense in their previous city: |
| 283 | ** The Los Angeles Lakers were originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota (The Land of 10,000 Lakes). |
| 284 | ** The Utah Jazz came from New Orleans, which is known for its jazz music. |
| 285 | ** The Memphis Grizzlies were based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Not many grizzly bears in Tennessee. |
| 286 | ** The Los Angeles Dodgers moved from Brooklyn, where the term "Dodger" referred to people who would dodge streetcars to get to Ebbets Field. |
| 287 | ** The San Francisco 49ers used to play in San Francisco, but now play an hour's drive south in Santa Clara. However they had already been headquartered in Santa Clara for a while. |
| 288 | * The National Hockey League originally consisted entirely of [[CanadianEqualsHockeyFan Canadian teams]], and later grew into a bi-national league of teams based in the United States and Canada. Similarly, the National Basketball League was entirely American until 1995[[note]]Though the [=NBA's=] inaugural 1949-50 season (at which point it was called the ''BAA'' - Basketball Association of America) had the Toronto Huskies, who folded after that season ended[[/note]] when the Toronto Raptors and the Vancouver Grizzles joined as expansion teams. While the Grizzlies would later move to Memphis (as mentioned above) the Raptors are still in Toronto. |
| 289 | * TheElevenOClockNumber was named when all musicals began at 8:30 PM, so the penultimate showcase number would happen around 11:00 PM. Broadway musicals tend to start at 8:00 PM or 7:00 PM, not counting afternoon matinees, which would put that musical number at an earlier time. |
| 290 | * Frequently happens when something is [[ScienceMarchesOn named based on outdated science]], yet the original name is retained even after it becomes obsolete. |
| 291 | ** This commonly happens to prehistoric animals, be it a single genus or an entire group. Notable examples include ''Hyaenodon'' (“hyena tooth”), despite being completely unrelated to today’s carnivorans (let alone hyenas specifically), ''Basilosaurus'' (“king lizard”), which was an early ''whale'' originally misidentified as a marine reptile, and ''Megarachne'' (“giant spider”), which turned to be a small eurypterid. Even the term “dinosaur” (meaning “terrible lizard”) is technically one of these since dinosaurs are far more closely related to crocodiles and even more so to birds (birds are surviving dinosaurs). |
| 292 | ** The leopard is so-named due to the historical assumption that it originated as a crossbreed between a lion and a panther. |
| 293 | ** "Atom" comes from the Ancient Greek for "indivisible", which if true would make nuclear fission impossible. An actually indivisible particle is what we now know as an "elementary particle". |
| 294 | ** Liver spots are not actually caused by the liver, but by the skin becoming less resistant to damage from UV radiation as one ages. |
| 295 | ** Malaria comes from the Medieval Italian words "mala aria", meaning "bad air", as the disease was named during a period when most sicknesses were believed to be caused by miasma (polluted air). It's now known that malaria is caused by a pathogen spread by mosquito bites, and the miasma idea has been completely replaced by germ theory. |
| 296 | * "Airplane mode" is a feature on smartphones and handheld game systems that turns off wireless communications. The term was coined during a time when smartphones were on the rise and many airlines still banned the use of cellphones (among other transmitting electronic devices) during flights due to the concern that they could interfere with aircraft navigational equipment, so airplane mode was conceived so users can use features and apps that don't require an internet connection, like music players and games. However, many airlines have since relaxed the restriction on smartphones as it's been determined that smartphones won't suddenly cause the plane to accidentally fly into the nearest no-fly zone or whatever, with some even offering in-flight wireless internet (Wi-Fi) and roaming cellular connections that would not be possible under a total "no wireless-transmitting devices" ban, so the mode being called "airplane mode" feels a bit dated. That said, airplane mode still turns off cellular transmissions on phones while allowing wifi and Bluetooth to be turned back on, as non-satellite phones cannot receive cellular signal while over 30,000 feet in the air due to being too far away from a cellular tower, so the feature is useful for conserving battery while you use your smartphone to listen to music or chat with your friends, and for many, the aforementioned in-flight roaming data is AwesomeButImpractical due to many cellular service providers charging a substantial extra amount for roaming connections. |
| 297 | * The Wrestling/NationalWrestlingAlliance was for most of its history [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin an alliance of American pro wrestling promotions]], with a couple overseas members, and was the backbone of the territory system. Due to various poor business decisions by NWA members and [[Wrestling/{{WWE}} stiff competition]] the NWA in the 2020s is now a singular promotion[[note]]Currently owned by Music/SmashingPumpkins frontman/vocalist Billy Corgan, who purchased the [=NWA's=] rights and trademarks in 2018[[/note]] that really has no connection to the old territory companies. |
| 298 | * "Marbles" are usually made of glass nowadays rather than marble. |
| 299 | * Marshmallows are named after the marsh mallow (as in a species of the mallow plant that grows in marshes) whose root was ground to a pulp to make them, but in modern versions of the recipe gelatin is generally used as the base ingredient instead. |
| 300 | [[/folder]] |
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