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[-[[caption-width-right:300: [[JustifiedTrope Because "domestic cavy" or "South American Cavy Rodent" just doesn't have the same ring to it]].]]-]
->''"This message has been brought to you by The Society of People Who Think That Names Should Mean Something."''
-->-- '''WebVideo/CGPGrey''', "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utDHcbiOfKY History Lesson for the History Channel]]"

Have you ever noticed how sometimes, pickles are ''really'' salty?

That's the sort of thing this article would be about if it were a SelfDemonstratingArticle. But it isn't. [[AndThatsTerrible That would be silly.]]

A birthday cake is a cake you eat on your birthday. That makes sense. But a butterfly is not a fly, a ten-gallon hat can't even hold one gallon, and a peanut is not a nut -- and don't even get us started on peanut butter. Words or combinations of words like this whose meaning has nothing to do with their name are known as ''misnomers''.

Mostly for historical reasons the misnomer sticks and nobody--or almost nobody--bats an eyelid when it is used, since it is well accepted and people know what it means; this particular variant is a common result of [[CallASmeerpARabbit calling Smeerps "rabbits"]]. A {{Cloudcuckoolander}} character and punster tropers are likely to [[LampshadeHanging hang a lampshade]] on these from time to time, complain that [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin contents of the tin differ from the label]] (or that the tin itself is not made of tin), and that [[MadeFromRealGirlScouts there's no baby in baby food]].

When the name once fit but no longer does, see ArtifactName. If the name is itself an element of ''deliberate deception'', it may be {{Doublespeak}} or a SuperFunHappyThingOfDoom.

For ''works'' with nonindicative names, see WordSaladTitle and NeverTrustATitle. For songs, see NonAppearingTitle. ADogNamedCat, FluffyTheTerrible, DeathbringerTheAdorable, IronicName, IronicNickname and SarcasticTitle are subtropes of this.

Contrast ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin. See InNameOnly when this trope applies to the title of a derivative work.

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While explanations for misnomers are welcome and encouraged, please resist the urge to make a Administrivia/JustifyingEdit.

Looking to have fun with misleading names? See JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant, for misleading trope names and JustForFun/IThoughtThatWas for misleading work names.
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!!Examples:

[[index]]
* NonIndicativeName/{{Advertising}}
* NonIndicativeName/AnimeAndManga
* NonIndicativeName/ComicBooks
* NonIndicativeName/FanWorks
* [[NonIndicativeName/AnimatedFilms Films — Animation]]
* [[NonIndicativeName/LiveActionFilms Films — Live-Action]]
* NonIndicativeName/{{Literature}}
* NonIndicativeName/LiveActionTV
* NonIndicativeName/MythsAndReligion
* NonIndicativeName/{{Music}}
* NonIndicativeName/TabletopGames
* NonIndicativeName/VideoGames
* NonIndicativeName/{{Webcomics}}
* NonIndicativeName/WebOriginal
* NonIndicativeName/WesternAnimation
* NonIndicativeName/OtherMedia
* NonIndicativeName/RealLife
[[/index]]
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