Misnomers

Have you ever bought something and then thought about how things get their names? More importantly, have you bought something you thought was “misnamed” or misleading? Did you wonder why you accepted the name, without looking further? You are in good company. It seems that this may be a long standing practice!

Wikipedia states : a misnomer is a word or term that suggests a meaning that is known to be wrong, ie: Ambiguity like “parkway” is generally a road with park-like landscaping, not a place to park. Naming peculiar to the originator’s world view. Transference of a well-known product brand name into a genericized trademark like “Xerox” for photocopy. An attempt to mislead people like “Greenland”, which is not green, was so named for the purpose of attracting settlers there.

The item that caught my attention was a “Protein Bistro Box” sold by Starbucks. Pay close attention to this now- follow with me. Would you expect a protein box to be predominantly “protein”? Would you expect a protein box to be higher in carbohydrates than a Dunkin Donut bavarian cream or chocolate covered donut? Yes, the calories are the very same- protein box vs chocolate covered donut- is that right??

So, I don’t think this item is named properly. I definitely felt that anyone who was on a “high protein” meal plan would be surprised to find 13 g of protein and 37 g of carbs in the 380 calories. What do I think might be the “source” of the misnomer based on Wiki’s choices? I listed the most likely ones above. I believe it was a marketing strategy or maybe branding. It could have been ambiguous but it might have been for the “purpose of attacting” customers!

What is the lesson in this little Aesop’s story today? Don’t count on a name to aptly describe a product, or a job, or a relationship, or a person, or a subculture . Or anything, for that matter. Naming is not subject to accuracy. How many times do people name their girl dog a boy name?  Just because it sounds like something based on the name, it may not even be close to the meaning that you have believed goes with that name!

What about a job description? How many times have you been hesitant to apply for a job with a title that sounded above your skill level or below your skill level? Is there any real way to know what the actual duties look like until you are there, in that role? Sometimes I have been charged with writing a job description to correct the original one that was so “ambiguous”, the employee might have been expected to shred paper or walk on water.

Do you really know what something means until you look closer? If I hadn’t looked at the back of this box- based on the suspicion that that little piece of bread was probably not made of quinoa, how would I have known that this was not exactly a “protein” meal! Well, I wonder what the protein content of quinoa is???

Well, an interesting discovery for today. The United Nations General Assembly declared 2013 as the “International Year of Quinoa”  in recognition of ancestral practices of the Andean people, who have preserved quinoa as food for present and future generations, through knowledge and practices of living in harmony with nature. The Incas, who held the crop to be sacred, referred to quinoa as  “mother of all grains”, and it was the Inca emperor who would traditionally sow the first seeds of the season using “golden implements”.Quinoa has become increasingly popular in the United States, Europe, China and Japan where the crop is not typically grown..between 2006 and early 2013 quinoa crop prices have tripled. Today, people appreciate quinoa for its nutritional value. Quinoa is considered a superfood.   Protein content is very high (14% by mass). ( Wikipedia)

Do you see how a little exploration on things that don’t quite seem what they appear, can lead to some interesting and unexpected discoveries? If anyone can identify what a “protein bistro box” should include, then please share! I’d like to make a suggestion to the marketing department and maybe get a “reward” !!! Just be more aware when you are making choices based on items that are not quite what they sound like and enjoy the educated decisions you make today!!!