[net.nlang] Terms which have outlived their descriptiveness

jeff@rtech.ARPA (Jeff Lichtman) (03/21/85)

I'm interested in terms that originally described what they stood for,
but are now used to stand for things they don't describe.  Here are the
ones I've thought of so far:

	steamroller	- no longer runs on steam

	telephone pole	- doesn't necessarily carry telephone wires

	dialing a phone	- used for push-button phones

	core		- still used to mean computer memory, even though
			  magnetic core hasn't been used in years

	battery		- used for single-celled voltage sources, which were
			  originally called "cells".  "Battery" was
			  originally reserved for multi-celled voltage sources
			  (e.g. a 6-volt battery has 4 cells).

	comic book	- not necessarily comic

Can anyone think of more examples?  Also, is there a name for this phenomenon?
-- 
Jeff Lichtman at rtech (Relational Technology, Inc.)
aka Swazoo Koolak

barryg@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Lee Gold) (03/26/85)

There are a lot of dead desriptors in the kitchen.

     Thirsty?  Have a glass of water.  Actually, the "glass" is probably
plastic.

     Hungry?  Get out the silverware (probably made of stainless steel).
Department stores have coined the term "flatware" to indicate stainless steel
silverware.  (And what on earth do you call a phrase like "stainless
steel silverware"?  Or a "plastic glass"?)

     China these days is also often plastic.

--Lee Gold