Call a Smeerp a Rabbit: Difference between revisions

When used in non-visual media, the problem is that unless the author is very explicit right up front about the fact that the animal in question is ''quite different'' from what the word normally means, the reader may be hundreds of pages in before he runs across something that just doesn't make sense, which can be jarring. It shatters the [[Suspension of Disbelief]] when you have to suddenly change your mental image of the hero's faithful dog to include scales and a forked tongue.

There is some [[Truth in Television]] here—early biologists and naturalists would name newly discovered animals after the ones they were familiar with due to a resemblance in how it looks, sounds, or acts. This is why, just as an example, you'd need to distinguish between American Bison and Eurasian Bison. Often, it would be a very happy coincidence if the similarly named animals were actually found to be genetically related once [[Science Marches On|Science Marched On]].

* Contrary to popular belief, ''actual'' Aracuan birds look absolutely ''nothing'' like the one seen in ''[[The Three Caballeros]]''.

* Most of the prehistoric animals from the ''[[Ice Age]]'' series films are all referred by the names of modern-day animals. For example, [[Panthera Awesome|Diego the Saber-toothed Cat]] is still referred as [[Somewhere a Paleontologist Is Crying|a tiger.]]

* Despite taking place in a fictional, separate galaxy, the ''[[Star Wars]]'' films feature objects that are actually named after real-world animals, such as the Millenium Falcon.

* The "velociraptors" in [[Jurassic Park]] were larger and had heads of a different shape when compared to actual velociraptors. That is because they were actually based on a related predator, the Deinonychus. This happened because when the novel was written, it had been proposed that the ''Velociraptor'' family should include Deinonychus—and the film went with that even though the scientific community wrote it off before filming took place. A rather mild case of [[Did Not Do the Research]].

* Other than being simply labeled "Bugs" as a [[Fantastic Slur]] towards the chitinous alien invaders and their various castes in ''[[Starship Troopers (film)|Starship Troopers]]'', their official label is "Arachnid". This is confusing as it is never shown if they have any sort of relation to Earth's anthropods despite the superficial resemblance.

* [[Gene Wolfe]]'s ''[[Book of the New Sun]]'', full stop. Wolfe's use of archaic but real terms is awe-inspiring. Of particular note are the "destriers" of Urth, which are carnivorous, fanged, and capable of charging at 90 miles an hour.

** The names of prehistoric animals crop up pretty often as well, but the notes in the back seem to indicate that these are not necessarily revived species (although the narrator seems to think they are) and might be whole new (but fairly similar) creatures.

* In the ''[[Honor Harrington]]'' series, we see Sphinxian chipmunks, which don't look much like terrestrial chipmunks at all. In fact, most species in the books are named after terrestrial animals, but except for a very few cases these refer to indigenous species of other worlds that aren't very similar to their namesakes. Lampshaded in the short story "A Beautiful Friendship".

** Treecats are sort of like domestic cats, sort of like ocelots, arboreal (as the name implies), intelligent, telepathic, and six-legged.

** A Kodiak Maximus is like a Kodiak Bear, only once again bigger and more dangerous. Presumably four-legged, since it originates on Gryphon and not Sphinx.

* The "piggies" in ''[[Speaker For The Dead]]'' are (to grossly simplify things) tree-climbing, scaly sentient beings with ''somewhat porcine snouts'', by which, of course, the settlers of their planet chose to identify them. Of course, most of the Lusitanian lifeforms are given Portuguese "rabbit" names. For instance, the indigenous herd animals are called "cabra", Portuguese for goat, while the grass is "capim".

* Neal Stephenson's ''[[Anathem]]'' uses this, in addition to its inversion [[Call a Rabbit a Smeerp]]. Devices that are obviously cell phones and video cameras respectively are called "jeejahs" and "speelycaptors", but vegetables and animals of the alien planet on which the novel is set are named for their closest Earth equivalent and Earth Anglo units (feet, miles) are used.

* In the novelisation of ''[[Star Trek III: The Search For Spock|Star Trek III the Search For Spock]]'' a [[Catgirl|felinoid crewmember]] is annoyed to be described as a "cat".

* Terry Jones' novelization of Douglas Adams' ''Starship Titanic'' opens with "'Where is Leovinus?', exclaimed the Gat of Blerontis, chief surveyor of the Northeast Gas District. 'No, I don't want another bloody fish-paste sandwich!'" The following paragraph explains that the terms "fish", "sandwich", "bloody", and "Northeast Gas District" are inexact approximations of alien terminology, before deciding to start over.

* The "Gin and Tonics" from ''[[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]''. It's stated that every race has a drink with a name phonetically identical to "Gin and Tonics", but wildly different.

*** Not so mysterious, since alcohol kills germs and one of its main benefits in early cultures was that it could be imbibed without the health risks of drinking unpurified water.

** Also in ''Hitchhikers'', every Earth animal seems to have a "mega-" equivalent on Arcturus, including the Arcturan Megadonkey and the Arcturan Megacamel. There's even Arcturan Mega-Gin, an essential ingredient of the Pan-Galactic [[Gargle Blaster]], to go with all the Arcturan Mega-Critters. In accordance with this trope, it's worth noting that the Megadonkey, for instance, has six legs.

* Potentially the [[Trope Namer]]: Mike Resnick's short story ''Stalking the Unicorn With Gun and Camera'' includes the following line: "A word of warning about the smerp: with its long ears and cute fuzzy body, it resembles nothing more than an oversized rabbit--but calling a smerp a rabbit doesn't make it one."

* In the [[Cthulhu Mythos]], one of Shub-Niggurath's titles is "The Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young". [[Eldritch Abomination|You'd be hard pressed to find anything less like a goat]].

** It is also possible that the "goat" appellation was a reference to its promiscuity - there are other places and situations where a libidinous individual or critter is called a goat - like a dirty old man being called a "randy old goat".

** Also, on a weirder note, the [[Starfish Aliens|Mi-Go]] are said to be called that because they were originally mistaken for the Yeti, which also goes by the name the Mi-Go. [[Sarcasm Mode|Because, of course, it's so easy to mistake a tentacle headed, winged lobster-thing for a giant snow gorilla.]]

* Joy Chant's Vandarei books describe a nomadic people, the Khentorei. They ride large, powerful unicorns whom they call horses. ("Khentor" is possibly derived from "centaur" but that's neither here nor there.)

* The [[Dragaera]] novels use elements of this trope, as [[Word of God]] holds that the "orcas" of Dragaera could use an Earth Orca (Whale) for a chew toy. The Dragaeran word for "hawk" is a special case, as it refers to diurnal birds of prey of any sort, and hence applies both to genuine hawks ''and'' to non-biologically-speaking-hawk birds of prey (IE Shrikes, Falcons, Ravens, Keas...)

{{quote|The fact that "Eden" got into the Protection Services' hands was known to at least two dozen people. And as the old phrase goes, "What's known to two men is known to a pig". The colonel didn't understand how a "pig", a self-replicating Loellian strain of algae used for food for the poor sections of the empire, could know know anything at all, though, perhaps the word "pig" meant something different in the past. From this he figured that over the centuries pigs have changed quite a bit, while people didn't.}}

* In [[Arthur C. Clarke]]'s story "The Wall of Darkness", Shervane and his father's traveling party includes "certain animals it is convenient to call horses".

* Toto, the [[Small Annoying Creature|alien]] [[Ridiculously Cute Critter|pet]] in Helen Weinbaum's short story "Honeycombed Satellite," is a three-legged creature with a roughly tetrahedral body, a simian face, rabbit-like ears, and a habit of parroting any sound that he hears. He's also [[Bizarre Alien Biology|photosynthetic]]. The main characters nonetheless insist that he's a puppy.

* The clovers in ''[[Horton Hears a Who!]]'' are all portrayed as being large, pink fluffy flowers.

* ''The Clockwork Rocket'' by [[Greg Egan]] takes place in a universe with entirely different laws of physics from our own. It still uses common words like "plant", "forest", and "wheat" to describe the things that are roughly analogous (never mind that plants gain energy by ''emitting'' light rather than absorbing it).

== Live-Action TV ==

* It happens from time to time on ''[[Star Trek]]''. Calling Targs (spikey warthog-looking things) and Sehlats "cats" (or "kitties") comes to mind. The Sehlat is also called the Vulcan equivalent of a teddy bear, despite not appearing all that similar to a terrestrial teddy bear. It's alive, for one thing. As Spock was quick to point out (when McCoy seemed amused that he owned a "teddy bear" as a child) it also has six-inch fangs. According to the animated series, Sehlats resemble a cross between a polar bear and a smilodon, and they are quite large.

* In ''[[Stargate SG-1]]'', when discussing the [[Show Within a Show]] based on the stargate program, ''Wormhole X-Treme!'', a snap decision replaces an apple tree with "painted kiwis" because it's more spacey. The problem is the script now read ''"Nick walks into the garden of kiwi trees, says 'How like Eden this world is' and bites into a painted kiwi."''

== Tabletop Games ==

** A similar treatment was given to Seawolves (an old term for pirates), spider-monkeys (they really look disturbing), and wolf spiders (who had wolf heads). However, since these are all cases of [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin]], it does raise the question of if we should count examples that make sense. But for the sake of completeness I felt these had to be mentioned.

* The ''[[Talislanta]]'' game flirts with this trope, featuring "equs" ([[Canis Latinicus|pseudo-Latin]] for "horse") as the most common riding beasts. Equs in Talislanta are reptile/mammal hybrids with claws, scales, manes... and (for the darkmane breed) a propensity toward foul language. Yep, the "horses" [[Sapient Steed|talk]].

** The Hapaka is said to be a dog, whereas the model looks like a miniature elephant, with a trunk and tusks and all.

** Kavinika is a type of wolf, but has ''no'' characteristics worthy of such a designation. [http://images.wikia.com/bionicle/images/9/99/Kavinika2.jpg It looks like a bird with no wings!]

** Muaka is a tiger that has a dog-like head, also has a caterpillar track instead of back legs, and can extend its neck. Its only tiger-like aspect is that it has some yellow on its black body. The Kane-Ra bull, which is the same model but with a few minor aesthetic differences, at least has horns to make it resemble the animal it's meant to be.

** Kuma-Nui. Basically a gigantic Muaka, but with two tank threads instead of one, and an enormously long tail. It's a rat.

== Video Games ==

* Pictured above (from the [[Animated Adaptation]]): the Tiger from ''[[Monster Rancher]]'' isn't a tiger. It's a wolf. And even then, it's not even a normal wolf—it has blue fur, a fluffy mane, and horns. Cue much confusion for the players.

** [[Adaptation Displacement|Ah, that's right, there was a video game!]] The anime made it fairly explicit that it was a wolf ''named'' Tiger—whose brother was [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|Greywolf]]. He was a [[Badass]], too. Ah, memories...

*** If translated right, the name (Taiga) would even reference his [[An Ice Person|ice abilities]].

** Baku also doesn't have a strong resemblance to the tapir it's named after (or even the mythical creature the tapir is named after in Japanese), looking more like a giant plush dog.

* Due to [[Cultural Translation]], Kapp'n the cabbie/bus driver/boat rower from ''[[Animal Crossing]]'' is called a snapping turtle, and [[Inconsistent Dub|occasionally]], a parrot. He's actually the mythological Japanese Kappa, as is made obvious by his name. Tom Nook from the same game also suffers from a tanuki-to-raccoon species change.

* Giraffes in ''[[Warcraft]]'' games have antelope-style horns, orcas have small bony horns too, and raptors have a small horn on their nose (the kind that players can use as mounts has a large horn). Warcraft raptors also have feathers, which is accurate, [[Science Marches On|though it wasn't known to be so when the models were designed in the early 2000s.]] Also several of ''Warcraft'''s [[Our Monsters Are Different|mythical creatures are]] ''[[Our Monsters Are Different|very]]'' [[Our Monsters Are Different|different]]. Hippogryphs are half-raven, half-elk rather than the usual half-eagle, half-horse, and Wyverns are a cross between a bat, a lion, and a scorpion, closer to the classic description of [[Call a Pegasus a Hippogriff|the Manticore than the expected two-legged dragon]].

** Every last large cat species in the game, from lions to tigers to panthers, also have large saber teeth.

** The sequel: ''Dawn of the New World'' actually justifies this by introducing a large canine monster that bears a strong resemblance to Noishe... then it introduces the Griffin as a monster with only two legs and a wolf-like head.

** Likewise, the "Ligers" in ''[[Tales of the Abyss]]'' are massive green-and-purple canines that shoot lightning and reproduce by laying eggs. They are also hinted to be matriarchal in nature.

* The "rats" in ''[[Chrono Trigger]]'''s 2300 AD bear only vague resemblances to their real-life counterparts.

* ''[[Half-Life]]'': Antlions! The only example in a series full of alien creatures. Also, the antlion Hive Guardian is referred to by the vortigaunts as the "myrmidont," which is derived from real-life antlions' scientific name (Myrmeleontidae). Also, they have a King instead of a queen, for variety.

* ''Zeno Clash'' contains "wrathbirds" and "squirrels". The squirrels are very similar to real squirrels, but the wrathbirds that look nothing like a bird, and share the elongated ears and large rear paws of a rabbit.

* ''[[Halo]]'' series: One race of aliens called the Kig-yar are also named "jackals", because everyone knows jackals are not small dog-like canids but humanoid... bird... things. [http://halo.neoseeker.com/wiki/Jackals This is what they look like.]

* ''[[Dwarf Fortress]]'': A bunch of goblins are knocking on our door riding beak-dogs? Okay, dogs with beaks ain't so bad—Urist McHammerer, take 'em—OH GOD, WHO LET THE VELOCIRAPTORS IN THE DOOR!?

** As this is simultaneously a mundane-sounding name for an exotic creature '''and''' an unusual name for an earthly creature, this doubles as [[Call a Rabbit a Smeerp]], a rare achievement.

* Most ''[[Pokémon]]'' actually have real animal names for their species names. For example, Pikachu is the "Mouse Pokemon."

** Some of these are particularly stupid, like Sandslash being called a mouse when it is clearly a pangolin.

** Some also refuse to believe that Mew is a cat, even though it's evident in the name.

** Although the games never state it, Tyranitar is based on a [[Tyrannosaurus Rex]]. Despite the fact that, besides maybe the head (scaled down quite a lot), it looks nothing like a T-rex.

== Web Comics ==

* ''[[El Goonish Shive]]'' has Jeremy the "cat".

** That's Jeremy "the creature that nature never intended" actually. Although, given his behavior, he might as well be a cat. This might actually be [[Call a Rabbit a Smeerp]] instead.

* The "Hornet" monsters (also called "Frelion") in ''[[Code Lyoko]]'' are green, ten-winged, spike-mouthed, poison-spitting digital beasts, and aside from their "stingers" (which shoot [[Frickin' Laser Beams]]), they aren't very hornet-like. Similarly, the monsters called "crabs", while red and flat, have four long, spindly legs instead—though their name is spelled "[[Xtreme Kool Letterz|Krabe]]", despite its pronunciation.

* Cerbee from ''[[Jimmy Two-Shoes]]''. Everyone refers to him as a dog. He barks like a dog, is [[Greek Mythology|named after a dog]], and does several dog things, but he's a small, one eyed horned monster who, other than having four legs, looks little like a dog.

* In ''[[Quasi at the Quackadero]]'', Quasi and Anita are supposed to be ducks, but look nothing like ducks.

* Arguably the case of the creepy staring horse from ''[[Adventure Time]]'''s episode "The Eyes". Other than being a quadruped, it really looks nothing like a horse, with a round head with no nose or snout and hooveless stick feet http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZdtZIuVzmE. Even though it's eventually revealed to be the Ice King in disguise, Finn and Jake never question over the creature's species.

** The French word for "turkey", ''dinde'', comes from ''poulet d'Inde'', "Indian chicken". Apparently, the French were initially unaware that the turkey is indigenous to North America, and somehow assumed that they were chickens from India.

*** Or, more likely, they just kept the naming convention developed when the first European explorers to North America were convinced they'd reached the eastern Asian shore. That's why Native Americans are still (wrongly) referred to as "Indians", for instance.

*** Interstingly, many experts think chickens may have originally bred in India.

** In the Old World, screech owl is another name for the Barn Owl, which is the most widespread member of the family Tytonidae, which is sometimes called the barn owl family. However, in the New World, screech owl refers to members of the genus ''Megascops'', which tend to be much smaller than a Barn Owl (the common Eastern and Western Screech Owls are both no bigger than an adult's fist, while the Barn Owl is much larger than they are) and are also in the family Strigidae like most other owls (and is also the family of all owls found in the United States except for the aforementioned Barn Owl).

** Potatoes have been likened to apples in several languages. The textbook French name for the potato is ''pomme de terre''--"apple of (the) earth", although ''patate'' is also used. The Dutch calls them ''Aardappel'', which literally translates to "Earth Apple." The Hebrew name for potatoes, ''Tapu'Akh Adama'', also means "apple of (the) earth" (Tapu'Akh = Apple, Adama = Earth/Soil). This is also true for the German word ''Erdapfel'', although ''Kartoffel'' is far more common—but the German term for French fries is the [[Gratuitous French|French loanword]] ''Pommes Frites'', literally meaning "fried ''apples''."

** The French also have the "patate douce" (sweet potatoe). Sometimes, some French say only the "patate douce" can be called patate. Nobody ever agrees.

*** Presumably the sweet potato (New World) being called a yam (Old World) is because most agricultural workers in America were African slaves, who applied this trope to the local root vegetables (yams are a major staple crop in much of Africa, including many places the slaves came from).

** Another Hebrew take on the apple is the "golden apple", i.e. the orange ("''Tapuz''", which is an abbreviation for "''Tapuach Zahav''"). It's a fairly recent addition to the language, and this fruit apparently had no previous Hebrew name whatsoever (foreign names were used).

** The English word "corn" used to refer to any grain, such as wheat or barley. When English speakers reached the New World and first saw the yellow grain that grows on a cob, they called it "maize", based on a native name for it, but at some point started calling it "sweet corn" instead. North American residents, however, called it "Indian corn", then shortened this to "corn"; "sweet corn" refers only to certain varieties. The rest of the world still calls it "maize".

*** This is also true to French-speaking North Americans (especially French Canadians) - though "maïs" (French for "maize") is generally understood, French Canadians generally refer to it as "blé d'inde", ''wheat from India''.

*** Shaddock is also a name for the pummelo, the grapefruit's larger cousin.

** The word "pineapple" was originally a word for what we now call a pine cone. Pine trees are not related to apple trees. The word was then applied to the fruit now known by that name, since it resembled a pine cone. Pineapple plants are not related to pine trees. Finally, the word "pineapple" for a pine cone fell out of use, being used exclusively for the fruit. ''Pineapple plants aren't related to apple trees, either.''

* Nutrias are neither rats nor beavers, they are in their own separate family. Muskrats and water rats aren't true rats either.

** "Rat" and "mouse" are terms erroneously applied to dozens if not hundreds of species of non-murid rodent, from packrats and mole rats (two for one, as they're not moles either!) to dormice and kangaroo mice.

* Raccoon dogs are not raccoons.

* The trees of the Pacific Northwest called cedars (''Thuja'') are not related to the true cedars(''Cedrus''), which are native to the Mediterranean and Himalayan regions, although ''Cedrus atlantica glauca'' has been cultivated in America. The only thing in common is that they both have aromatic wood.

[[Category:Animal Tropes]]

[[Category:Truth in Television]]