What are the origins of this fun-filled festive custom?
Panama hats actually come from Ecuador. The name became popular after President Theodore Roosevelt was seen wearing one during his visit to the construction site of the Panama Canal.
Chances are you've probably hit your elbow a couple of times and felt a sharp pain and numbness. The exact place you hit it was not a bone, but the ulnar nerve.
Coconuts are not nuts. They are actually a type of fruit called drupes, just like coffee beans and olives.
This type of cord is made of a fiber found in animals' intestines, but most usually of sheep or goats—not cats!
Despite the name, these are actually wasps, not ants. The name derives from the fact that wingless females look like hairy ants.
The numbers most of us use did not actually come from the Arabian Peninsula. Instead, they were invented in India. They were, however, introduced to Europe by Arabian mathematicians, hence the name.
Can you see a duck in this picture? Well, that's because the Bombay duck is actually a fish.
These resemble more so a snake than a worm, but are in fact neither. These reptiles are actually legless lizards.
This game is not a form of checkers, and it didn't originate in China either. It was actually invented in Germany in 1892.
Sure they have tiny horns, but these animals are definitely not toads. They are, quite obviously, lizards.
English horns (or the cor anglais) are not originally from England, nor are they actual horns. These are woodwind instruments of the oboe family, and come from Poland.
"Put on your coat of arms and you will be ready for battle," said no military commander, ever. These are just symbolic emblems.
The "lady" part of the name is actually an allusion to the Virgin Mary. Though some of these cute beetles are actually male.
Glowworms are not worms. They are actually insect larvae that glow through bioluminescence.
It goes without saying that the titmouse is not actually a mouse. It's pretty clear that it's a bird.
Sources: (BuzzFeed) (Merriam-Webster) (Mental Floss)
See also: Common phrases that sound terrifying when taken literally
This animal is not actually related to the giant panda. This arboreal mammal is actually more closely related to raccoons, skunks, and weasels.
Buffalos don't have wings, so how can this be? Well, these popular deep-fried chicken wings actually got their name from the city of Buffalo, New York, not the animal.
This is not actually a burglar who steals cats. Instead, it refers to a burglar who can go undetected.
These are indeed star-shaped and live in the sea, but they are definitely not fish. Instead, they are echinoderms.
You have probably noticed that these are not made of tin. After all, aluminum replaced tin in 1910.
These beautiful sea creatures are not actually a species of fish. Instead, they're cnidarians, just like coral and sea anemones.
You might know this one already, but peanuts are not nuts. They are actually legumes, like peas and beans.
There aren't any cocoa solids from cacao beans in white chocolate, only cocoa butter, so one could argue that, technically, it is not chocolate.
This beautiful insect is not a fly, and it's definitely not made of butter. The name originates from the Old English buterflēoge (meaning "butter") and flēoge (meaning "fly"). Why they went with this word no one knows for sure.
If case you haven't noticed, these cute little rodents aren't actually pigs. In fact, they're closely related to capybaras.
Shouldn't a "driveway" be a place where you drive, and a "parkway" a place where you park? Food for thought.
Fireflies are not flies, nor do they have the capacity to make fire. They are actually beetles.
These adorable animals are not bears. They are, in fact, marsupials.
Strawberries are not berries (and, shockingly, neither are blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries). True berries are produced through a single ovary. Instead, strawberries and the like are actually called accessory fruits. What about real berries? Well, a few examples include grapes, pumpkins, and...bananas.
The English language if full of misnomers, or names that are inaccurate in describing something. Some of these date back to Old English words, but others do remain a mystery to this day. Many of us are familiar with some of these. For instance, the fact that peanuts are not actually nuts. But there are more—a lot more.
Click through the following gallery and discover the most curious misnomers in the English language.
Curious names for things that don't quite fit
When a berry is not actually a berry
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The English language if full of misnomers, or names that are inaccurate in describing something. Some of these date back to Old English words, but others do remain a mystery to this day. Many of us are familiar with some of these. For instance, the fact that peanuts are not actually nuts. But there are more—a lot more.
Click through the following gallery and discover the most curious misnomers in the English language.