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{{trope}}
{{quote|'''Arvis:''' Busy with all that robbing and plundering, I presume?
'''Locke:''' I ''prefer'' the term treasure hunting.
|''[[Final Fantasy VI]] Advance''}}
A character constantly corrects a term used in their introduction or any speech that otherwise refers to them, but never seems to stop anyone using it. Sometimes this is because they could be called something people see as unflattering or a poor choice of words.
Occasionally this extends into a [[I Am Not Weasel|species joke]], where an alien or funny animal corrects others about some stereotypical aspect. Can also be done with a person whose name has an unusual
Compare with [[Don't Call Me "Sir"!]], [[They Call Me Mister Tibbs]], and [[Do Not Call Me "Paul"]]; compare and contrast with [[The European Carry All]]. [[Spell My Name with a "The"]], [[It Is Pronounced "Tro-PAY"]], [[I Am Big Boned]], [[Blackmail Is Such an Ugly Word]], [[Not Using the Z Word]] and [[I Am Not Weasel]] are specific sub-tropes of this. See also [[She Is Not My Girlfriend]]. For the fandom equivalent, see [[Gannon Banned]]. For the "adult" version, see [[It's Not Porn, It's Art]].
{{examples}}
== Anime and Manga ==
* Kotomi from ''[[Clannad (visual novel)|Clannad]]'' insists on being addressed with "Kotomi-chan" and won't even register other forms of address. This makes most people somewhat uncomfortable, as it is a rather intimate form of address.
** In the same show, Fuko's carvings are starfish, not stars.
* Same thing in ''[[Tenchi Muyo!]]'': "No! I'm not gonna help you unless you call me Little Washu!" ("
** Greatly exaggerated in the minds of fans. Washu did this ''once'' in ''Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki,'' and six episodes later it came back to bite her on the butt when she discovered that Mihoshi had included it in her report. That hasn't stopped fanfic writers using it to death.
* Suzuka from ''[[Yu Yu Hakusho]]'' somewhat fits this trope during his first appearance in the Dark Tournament. He insists on being called "The Beautiful Suzuka" and promises that anyone who doesn't refer to him as such will not live to repeat their mistake. When the foxgirl announcer Koto just calls him Suzuka, he shows his annoyance by hurling a razor sharp playing card at her head. She manages to duck as the card skewers the demon sitting behind her, scaring her enough to use Suzuka's title and constantly compliment him and his techniques during the match. And even once [[Call Back|a whole two sagas later]].
* ''[[The Slayers]]'':
** Lina Inverse insists on referring to Philionel El Di Saillune as the "First Royal Successor". Don't call him "Prince" in front of her. Just don't. In the novels, this is partly because, thanks to [[Royally Screwed-Up|some succession issues with Saillune's royal family]], this is his actual title. He really isn't a prince, even if he is the current ruler's son.
** Not to mention the number of people Lina has to, ahem, correct about the various titles she's usually introduced with. Generally by the assembly of local banditry.
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* ''[[Gun X Sword]]'': "Carul-san..." "Carmen, Carmen, Carmen 99!"
* ''[[Bleach]]'': [[Pirates of the Caribbean|"It's CAPTAIN Hitsugaya!"]]
* ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! GX]]''
** Manjyoume has to constantly correct anyone who doesn't use honorifics when saying his name with "Manjyoume san da!" (translation: "That's ''Mr.'' Manjyoume to you!"). Unfortunately for him, everyone mistakes this as "Manjyoume sandaa", instead ("sandaa" being the Japanese pronunciation to the English world "thunder"). While he hasn't stopped with the correcting, he ''has'' embraced the mistake as part of his personal motto. In the dub, Manjyoume's counterpart Chazz Princeton does the same thing, insisting everyone call him "''The'' Chazz". It just doesn't work as well.
** Dr. Chronos was like this too. In the first season, he insisted on being called ''Doctor'' Chronos to anyone who addressed him otherwise. In the second season, he became Chancellor of the school, and while students managed to address him as "doctor" now, he insisted on being called by his new title. By the fourth season, when he became Vice Chancellor, the students had much more respect for him, and this wasn't an issue anymore.
** This happened twice in the dub during Judai's duel with Princess Rose; she was annoyed when Kenzan referred to her Des Frogs as reptiles (frogs are ''amphibians'') and again when he called her D.3.S. Frog a toad. (Frogs are ''not'' toads.)
* In ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V]]'', Yuya is invited to the Junior Youth Division Tournament simply due to his popularity, even though he does not qualify for it (contestants require a 60% win record, and Yuya's is only 55%): Yuya is reluctant at first:
{{quote|'''Yuya:''' It kinda seems like cheating or something.
'''Nico Smiley:''' No, it's favoritism! Okay, that might have come out wrong, but the important thing is, your in!}}
* Sealand of ''[[Axis Powers Hetalia]]'' says, "Call me Sea-kun!" He also once requested, [[Cheerful Child|bizarrely enough]], to be called "senpai".
** "THIS IS WAR, AND YOU'RE WEARING A CAPE!" "It's a cloak, non?" from [[Gag Dub|the dub.]]
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* Albireo Imma of ''[[Mahou Sensei Negima]]'' likes his tournament alias of "Ku:Nel Sanders" so much that he requests everyone to call him by that name and will pretend to ignore you if you call him by his original name.
* ''[[Spice and Wolf]]'': By the way, did you know that Holo is wise?
* ''[[Naruto]]'':
** Sasuke corrects Deidara that his jutsu is called "Chidori", not "Raikiri" (Lightning Blade). "Chidori" is the formal jutsu name, and "Raikiri" is the nickname given to Kakashi's version.
** On a number of occasions, Shikamaru and Shikaku corrected their opponents by insisting that their technique is called Shadow Imitation Technique (Kagemane no Jutsu) and not Shadow Bind Technique (Kage Shibari no Jutsu). The Shadow Imitation Technique is more refined version of the older Shadow Bind.
* In ''[[Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha
{{quote|'''Arf:''' It's the same damn thing!}}
** Given that the Belkan magic system's terminology differs from the more common Mid-Childa system in many ways ("knights" instead of "mages"; "knight armor" instead of "barrier jackets"), Arf is probably correct that there's no actual difference between a guardian beast and a familiar.
* Kei and Yuri's codename is "[[Lovely Angels]]". Don't ever call them the [[Dirty Pair]], you jerk!
* ''[[Butterflies, Flowers]]'': Domoto insists that Choko address him as "Director Domoto ♥" when on the job. [[Say It with Hearts|Don't forget the heart]].
* ''[[Angel Beats!]]'':
** "Call me Christ!"
** And inverted with "I'm not an angel".
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** Wait, how can a SHE be an android?
* ''[[One Piece]]'': Sadi-chan insists on being referred to as such ("Miss Sadie" in the Viz manga)
* Katsura constantly corrects Gintoki, who calls him "Zura" in ''[[Gintama]]''. The joke evolves over the series into silly puns, so when someone calls him anything other than his real name, Katsura says "Not X, it's Katsura!" He sometimes changes it to "Not Zura, it's X" if he's wearing a disguise though.
* Assistant chief security maid Yashima Sanae in ''[[Hanaukyo Maid Tai]]: La Vérité''. In Japan "Sanae" is normally a first name, so people often call her Sanae instead of Yashima. She always corrects them when they do so, telling them that Yashima is her first name and Sanae is her last name.
* Played with and Discussed in ''[[Fairy Tail]]'' The Trimens call Ichiya Nii-san, Master, etc., and is lampshaded a few times
{{quote|"They're not very consistent, are they."}}
* Maiza Avaro and Firo Prochainezo of ''[[Baccano!]]'' often remind other characters that the particular type of criminal sydicate of Italian origin to which they belong is ''not'' [[The Mafia]], but the ''Camorra''.
* [[Half-Human Hybrid|Rin]] of ''[[Blue Exorcist]]'' is ''not'' a [[Berserk Button|demon.]]
* In [[Fullmetal Alchemist (manga)|Fullmetal Alchemist]], former Warrant Officer Vato Falman has to remind people that he's a Second Lieutenant from the Briggs arc onwards.
* [[Dragonball Z]] has Vegeta insisting on calling Goku by his Saiyan birth name of Kakarot.
* A very poignant use crops up a lot in ''[[Code Geass]]''; the racist, darwinist Britannians call those who were once Japanese "Elevens", since Japan was redesignated "Area 11" after the Britannians invaded, as a way of oppressing the Japanese; They go as far as to illegalise the use of the terms "Japan" and "Japanese". It is frequently done by two characters:
{{quote|'''[[Action Girl|Kouzuki Kallen]]:''' "We're not Elevens, we're Japanese!"
'''[[Psycho Lesbian|Nina Einstein]]:''' "Stop saying "Japanese"! You're Elevens!" }}
== Comic Books ==
* The ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]: Season 8'' comics have Dawn cursed to turn into three things. She would like you to know that the second one was not a centaur, it was a centaurette, which is, as she defined it, a girl centaur.
* ''[[Top Ten]]'':
** Vampires in Neopolis prefer [[Not Using the Zed Word|not to say the zed word]]; One, when called a vampire, insists he's "a Hungarian-American with an inherited medical condition."
** Robots, who are victims of [[Fantastic Racism]], tend to insist on being acknowledged as "Ferro-Americans" or "Post-Organics".
* ''[[The Sandman]]'' brings us [[Serial Killer|Fun-Land]]. "Not FUN! FUN-''LAND''!" This being The Sandman, it's actually pretty terrifying: the guy in question ''is'' a child-murdering sociopath hiding behind the mask of an amiable, slightly goofy fat guy who stalks his "prey" in [[Meaningful Name|amusement parks]].
* [[Death's Head]], of the Marvel universe (and occasionally appearing in the ''[[The Transformers (
* ''[[Runaways]]'': Molly's code-name is '''Princess Powerful'''!
* [[Spider-Man]] has been known to correct villains who call him an insect, pointing out that spiders are technically arachnids.
* ''[[Ghost Rider]]'' antagonist and [[Legacy Character]] "The All-New Orb" literally always refers to himself with that full phrase. Others just call him "Orb" or "The Orb", but he's been very clear what he'd prefer to be known as.
* ''[[Sting (music)|Sting]]'': "Klarion... bum bum BUM... the Witch-Boy!"
* Max from ''[[Sam and Max Freelance Police]]'' dislikes being called a rabbit, and instead prefers the term "Lagomorph" or "Hyperkenetic Rabbity Thing." He dislikes being called a "malefactor" too. But for ''really'' insistent terminology, just use a really weird or long word around him. He hates that even more.
* In the ''[[Batgirl]]'' series, Barbara Gordon, the ''original'' [[
* In the ''[[Hellboy (comics)|Hellboy]]'' comics, the Nazi head-in-a-jar mad scientist Herman Von Klempt gets ''very upset'' if you call his ape a monkey.
* [[Captain Mar-Vell]] would often insist he be called by his actual name and not "Captain Marvel".
* In an ''[[Avengers West Coast]]'' story, [[Dance Battler]] super-villain Danse Macabre is upset when Hangman says she is a "stripper"; her preferred term is "exotic dancer".
* In ''[[Scott Pilgrim]]'', Ramona repeatedly insists that that the members of the League of Evil Exes be referred to as "exes" and not "ex-boyfriends". [[Bi the Way| He figures out ''why'' when Roxy shows up.]]
* [[Spider-Man]] often takes offense when a villain insults him by comparing him to an "insect". Spiders are ''arachnids''.
* Much like Spider-Man, [[Batman]] has occassionally corrected folks who claim he "dresses like a flying rodent", pointing out that bats are ''not'' rodents.
== Fan Works ==
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** Yakuza pretty consistently refer to themselves as "ninkyo dantai" ("chivalrous organization") and to rivals as "boryokudan" ("violence group").
* In the ''[[The Private Diary of Elizabeth Quatermain|Elizabeth Quatermain]]'' universe, Elizabeth's father Allan narrates the events from his own separate side volume, in which he refuses to refer to Elizabeth and her half-brother Harry as anything other than Daughter and Son. In the main storyline, meanwhile, Skinner has a good half-dozen nicknames for Elizabeth, but uses her real name only once.
* In ''[[Naruto:
{{quote|'''Sasuke:''' Damn you, Sasuke's brother. I shall [[Roaring Rampage of Revenge|get you back]]. Somehow...}}
* The species of Gods and Demons in ''[[Divine Blood]]'' were named such by the humans.
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{{quote|'''Phoenix Wright:''' ''[[First-Person Smartass|(Well excuse me, I didn't take "Hooked on Ponyics")]]'' }}
* In ''[[The Vinyl Scratch Tapes]]'', Octavia doesn't have a ''band'', she is part of an ''ensemble''.
* In [[The Teraverse]], stories set in San Diego often mention the "Fire-Rescue Department", ''not'' "Fire Department"; justified, since the city's fire department (in real life as well as in the stories) is administratively combined with its EMT and beachfront lifeguard services. There is also a character (of French descent) named Marie-Therese, who is so insistent about her first name being hyphenated that one of her Internet screennames is revealed to be "notwithoutmyhyphen". (Considering that she is closely associated with a Marie, it also helps to avoid confusion.)
* In the ''[[Harry Potter]]'' fic ''[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12562072/1/Harry-Potter-and-the-Daft-Morons Harry Potter and the Daft Morons]'' by "sinyk", Harry is very insistent that he does not ''cook'', he ''chefs''.
== Film ==
* ''[[The Princess and the Frog]]'': "It's not slime, it's mucus!"
* ''[[The Emperor's
** "That's a harp... and that's a dress." "''ROBE.''"
** "We've been through this... It's a HARP. and you know it."
* In ''[[Lilo and Stitch]]'', Dr. Jumba, the one who created Stitch, is always referred to as an "idiot scientist". In his own words, "I prefer to be called evil genius!"
* In ''[[The Great Mouse Detective]]'', Ratigan is not a rat, he's a big mouse.
* In ''[[Over the Hedge (animation)|Over the Hedge]]'' Verne is constantly having to tell everyone that he's a reptile, not an amphibian.
* A classic example from ''[[The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie]]:'' "It's not bald, it's... THINNING!"
* In ''[[Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension]]'', Doof-1 described Monogram-2 as a slave. Monogram-2 said he was an 'indentured executive assistant', which is how Doof-2 later called him.
** Also, Monogram-1 said he was ''sweating through his eyes'' instead of crying. Buford had previously used that terminology in the series. (see below)
* In ''[[A Monster in Paris]]'', Raoul's coat isn't ''made of straw'', it's made of a very expensive material! {{spoiler|Although eventually Raoul gives in and admits that, yes, it's made of straw.}}
* ''[[Die Hard|Live Free or Die Hard]]'': "It's a ''command center!''"
* ''[[Jurassic Park]]'': "I prefer to be called a [[Hollywood Hacking|hacker.]]"
* For the first third or so of [[Mel Brooks]]'s ''[[Young Frankenstein]]'', Frederick Frankenstein consistently corrects the pronunciation of his surname: "Fronkenshteen".
** This causes [[The Igor|his nonplussed assistant]] to claim his name is pronounced "Eye-gor", and to call Frederick "Froederick".
** Reversed, however, when the creature is recaptured: Igor addresses the doctor as "Fronkenshteen", and he screams "[[Punctuated!
* ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean]]'':
** "Mr. Sparrow." "''[[They Call Me Mister Tibbs|Captain]]'' Jack Sparrow!"
** Davy Jones [[Lampshade Hanging|lampshades]] this in the second movie:
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{{quote|'''Will:''' We're going to steal that ship?
'''Jack Sparrow:''' ''Commandeer.'' We're going to ''commandeer that'' ship; nautical term. }}
** Not exactly this trope, but in the first movie Barbossa insists that the pirate code is "more what you'd call guidelines than actual rules".
** And in the 4th movie:
{{quote|"You are Jack Sparrow?"
[[Beat]] "There should be a Captain in there somewhere." }}
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* In ''Alexander'', when Nearchus subtly jabs that Parmenion's flank nearly crumbling at [[wikipedia:Battle of Gaugamela|Gaugamela]] cost them the chance to catch Darius, Parmenion's son Philotas rages at him, starting with "How dare you, Nearchus!" prompting Nearchus to talk over him, "''General'' Nearchus to you!"
* ''[[Pulp Fiction]]'': "It's not a motorcycle, baby, it's a chopper."
* In ''[[Transformers (film)|Transformers]]'', Simmons insists on calling [[Big Bad|Megatron]] "N.B.E.-1", even after finding out his name. This even carries into the second film, after Megatron is brought [[Back
* From ''[[Night at the Museum|Night at the Museum 2]]'':
{{quote|'''Kah Mun Rah:''' Are there any questions?
'''Al Capone:''' Yeah, I got one. How come you're wearing a dress?
'''Kah Mun Rah:''' This is not a dress. This is a tunic. }}
* Sets up a sizable portion of the [[Call Back
{{quote|'''Danny:''' When did you first know you wanted to be a policeman?
'''Angel:''' Officer.
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'''Max:''' [barks at him]
'''Grinch:''' It's not a dress, it's a kilt! ''(rips off tablecloth)'' ''SICKO''! }}
* In the [[German Humor|German comedy]] ''[[Loriot|Pappa ante Portas]]'', the title protagonist [[Running Gag|insists]] that the dish "Birne Helene" (Poire Belle Hélène) has to be pear with chocolate
* The Dude in ''[[The Big Lebowski]]'' is very insistent that Maude Lebowski is not his "special lady", but his "fuckin' lady friend!"
{{quote|"I'm just helping her conceive, man!"}}
* In ''[[Scott Pilgrim vs. the World]]'', every time Scott refers to Ramona's ex-boyfriends, Ramona corrects him with "exes". We later found why. {{spoiler|One of her exes was in fact a girl}}.
* In ''[[Half Baked]]'', [[Dave Chappelle|Thurgood]] is a custodian, or a janitor, if you want to be a dick about it.
* From ''[[The Miracle of Morgan's
{{quote|'''Governor McGinty:''' This is the biggest thing to happen in this state since we stole it from the Indians!
'''The Boss:''' Borrowed. }}
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{{quote|'''Peter''': Spider-Man wasn't trying to attack the city, he was trying to save it. That's slander.
'''J. Jonah Jameson''': It is not. I resent that! Slander is spoken. In print, it's libel. }}
* In ''[[
* In both ''[[Escape from New York]]'' and its sequel, ''[[Escape From L.A.]]'', the U.S. government is on a [[Last-Name Basis]] with protagonist Snake Plissken, to which he consistently replies, "Call me Snake". However, during the respective climaxes of both movies, when one of the government's men finally does call him Snake, he reverses his previous attitude with the reply "The name's Plissken".
* ''[[Hunter Prey]]'': The alien bounty hunter prefers to call himself a soldier of fortune.
*
* By the killer in ''[[Scream (film)|Scream]]'', {{spoiler|both of them}}.
{{quote|{{spoiler|'''Sidney:''' You're crazy, both of you.}}
{{spoiler|'''Stu:''' Actually, we prefer the term "psychotic".}} }}
* The Mercury astronauts in ''[[The Right Stuff]]'' insist that the vehicle they ride be referred to as a "spacecraft", not a "capsule".
* ''[[Star Wars]] [[Attack of the Clones]]''. Anakin first classifies his threat against another species as "aggressive negotiations." Padme later picks up the term as a sign that the two are bonding.
* [[Cellular|It's a day spa]], not a beauty parlor.
* ''[[Small Soldiers]]''; Chip Hazard does the "We're not dolls, we're ''action figures!''" line.
== Literature ==
* ''[[Discworld]]'':
** The ''[[
** From ''[[
** From ''[[
** Ankh-Morpork's Guild of Seamstresses prefer to be known as the "Ladies of Negotiable Affection". '''Not'' prostitutes, "''Ladies of Negotiable Affection''".
** Unseen University librarian is an ape, not the M-word. Knowing the difference is part of natural selection.
**
** Let us not forget ''Miss'' Susan Sto Helit (the granddaughter of Death).
** Or ''Mister'' Vimes, who insists on the title (even after he is technically ''Sir'' Samuel Vimes or even the ''Duke'' of Ankh.)
*** Technically certain of his titles override others in proper use, but his some-time ambassadorial attaché insists on introducing "His Grace, His Excellency, The Duke of Ankh; Commander Sir Samuel Vimes"
* Aahz, of Robert Asprin's ''[[Myth Adventures]]'' books, is a demon from the dimension called Perv, and quite firm about the correct term for his race being "Pervect", not "Pervert", the latter being a [[Fantastic Slurs|racial slur]].
** In the [[Comic Book Adaptation]], Aahz's apprentice Skeeve correctly addresses another Pervect, who starts to scream at him... then stops, astonished to realize someone actually got it right, and asks politely what he can do for Skeeve.
*** It's all especially funny because ''all'' racial terms in the books are insults. Skeeve, for example, is a Klahd because he's from Klah, and the characters from Trollia are Trolls or Trollops, depending on sex. Pervects are thus asking for respect that no one else gets (or cares about much). Then again, they are Pervects, so they mostly get it.
* Belgian Hercule [[Poirot]] objects to being called French
** Parodied by his [[Expy]] Milo Perrier in the movie ''[[Murder By Death]]'', where he indignantly responds to someone calling him "Frenchie" with "I'm not a Frenchie! I'm a Belgie!"
** There was also a "I am not Belgian, I am FRENCH!" moment, followed immediately by "My apologies. Correcting people has become a reflex."
* ''[[Harry Potter (novel)|Harry Potter]]''
** Hermione Granger gets rather snippy when people refer to her "Society for the Promotion of Elvish Welfare" by its [[Fun with Acronyms|acronym]].
*** The name is even better in Dutch: "Stichting Huiself voor Inburgering en Tolerantie" (society house-elf for naturalizing and tolerance).
** Also, whenever Harry calls Snape "Snape", Hermione and/or the nearest adult corrects him: "''Professor'' Snape."
* As with the Poirot article above, in the ''[[CHERUB]]'' series of books there is a ''Ukrainian'' character named Yosyp Kazakhov. Call him Russian, and you'll get an earful and a half. (If you're lucky.)
* In a bit of an inversion, when Bilbo Baggins balks at getting hired as a "burglar" in ''[[The Hobbit]]'', the dwarves miss the point and tell him he can be an "expert treasure hunter" instead.
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* In ''[[The Dresden Files]]'', do ''not'' call [[The Fair Folk|the Sidhe]] "faeries". To them, the difference is as pronounced as calling a human an ape.
* [[Moon Over Soho|Peter Grant]] would like you to know that it isn't Black Magic, it is Ethically Challenged Magic, thank you very much.
* ''[[Transformers:
* In ''[[Honor Harrington]]'', the Committee of Public Safety regime in [[People's Republic of Tyranny|the People's Republic of Haven]] is quite insistent upon the honorific "Citizen" before military ranks and titles of office.
* From ''[[Carrera's Legions|The Lotus Eaters]]'': in the Republic of Gaul's navy, "There is 'My God' and 'My ass', but there is no ''mon capitaine''."<ref>"My captain", in case anyone was uncertain.</ref>
* From ''[[Pandora's Star]]'': It's a flow wormhole generator, ''not'' a hyperdrive.
** Also, a slightly more meta example: Peter F. Hamilton never misses a chance to remind you that the concrete is enzyme-bonded.
* From ''[[Chalion]]'', it's a [[Taking You with Me|Death Miracle]], not "death magic".
== Live-Action TV ==
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{{quote|'''Dwight:''' A ''Sempai'' is the assistant Sensei.
'''Jim:''' Assistant ''to'' the Sensei. }}
* On ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'', Mr. Data is an "artificial life form" or "android", not a "robot". When someone asks if he's a robot, Data responds by saying there are many differences between the two concepts, but he does not elaborate.
* In an example from one of ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]'''s Ferengi episodes, the good guy Ferengi repeatedly have to correct people who refer to "Grand Nagus Brunt" by insisting that they call him "''Acting'' Grand Nagus Brunt".
* Brilliant cop Lester Freamon of ''[[The Wire]]'' is very insistent about the amount of time he spent banished in the pawn shop
* Fabio Viviani from ''[[Top Chef]]'' season 5. After a judge called his filet mignon sandwich "essentially a cheesesteak", he went on to declare, "It's a filet mignon sandwich. Not a cheesesteak."
* Memetic mutation has done this to Dr. K of ''[[Power Rangers RPM]]''. It's Bio-Armor, not spandex!
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* ''[[Arrested Development (TV series)|Arrested Development]]'': "'''ILLUSIONS, Michael.'''" A trick is something a whore does for money... Or cocaine!
* One of the first things Ned in the pilot of ''[[Pushing Daisies]]'' says is that the people he brings back to life are not zombies or undead, merely "alive again".
* ''[[Doctor Who]]''
** In the 2007 Christmas special, Bannakaffalatta, a red-skinned, spikey alien {{spoiler|cyborg}}, takes it personally when the Doctor tries to call him "Banna".
** The Doctor in general is rather insistent that he ''borrowed'' the TARDIS, not stole it. {{spoiler|Meanwhile, the TARDIS herself insists that ''she'' stole ''him''.}}
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'''Sam:''' Actually, it's a birthday ''message''. }}
** Sam Seaborn's friend Laurie is a "call girl", not a "prostitute". It's an important distinction, Toby.
** And don't disrespect the president.
{{quote|'''Hoynes:''' I have had it up to here with you and your pal.
'''Leo:''' Excuse me....Are you referring to President Bartlet?
'''Hoynes:''' Yes.
'''Leo:''' Refer to him that way. }}
* There's also "adult film actress" instead of "porn star" in ''[[Sports Night]]'', also by [[Aaron Sorkin]].
* ''[[Monty Python's Flying Circus]]'': Never call Ferdinand Von Zeppelin's flying machine a "Balloon". "Eet is not a BALLOON!! Eet is an AIRSHIP! An AIRSHIP!! You vant to play wis balloons, [[Thrown From the Zeppelin|GET OUTSIDE]]!!"
** No no, it's ''spelled'' Raymond Luxury Yacht, but it's ''pronounced'' Throatwobbler Mangrove!
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'''Topher:''' I prefer man-reaction. }}
* In ''[[Stargate SG-1]]'', Senator Robert Kinsey tries to smugly comment on Thor's presence and refers to him as "Commander," only for Thor to restate that he is ''Supreme'' Commander of the Asgard Fleet. Kinsey does it again when he meets Bra'tac, referring to him as "mister," whereupon SG1 explains that it is ''Master'' Bra'tac.
* On ''[[Veronica Mars]]'' Cassidy Casablancas is always referred to as 'Beaver', in the s2 finale he finally snaps, yelling "MY NAME IS CASSIDY!"
** Lampshaded since Veronica Mars calls him Cassidy (and whenever she calls him Beaver, she corrects herself).
* In ''[[Sherlock]]'', Holmes is not a psychopath. He's a high-functioning sociopath
* In one episode of ''[[Special Unit 2]]'' they were trying to catch a djinn before she could grant her 3000th wish and be free. To do this, their resident gearhead created a capturing device:
{{quote|'''Jonathan''' [describes the device, using terms involving sucking and a storage bag]
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'''Captain:''' ''(enters scene)'' Have you finished briefing Benson and O'Malley on the vacuum cleaner? }}
* Barney from ''[[How I Met Your Mother]]'' is constantly insisting to others (including Ted) that he is Ted's best friend instead of Marshall.
* Done repeatedly on ''[[El Chavo
{{quote|'''Doña Florinda:'''This is your great job? Balloon seller?.
'''Don Ramon:''' I'm not a balloon seller, I'm a dealer specializing in folkloric articles for child consumption. }}
* In ''[[White Collar]]'', criminals always remember to say "allegedly" after anyone mentions any crime they have committed and/or been charged with, but not been convicted for.
* ''[[Ashes to Ashes]]'': Alex Drake specializes in ''psychology'', not psychiatry.
* On ''[[The Big Bang Theory]]'' Sheldon is not a rocket scientist. He's a theoretical physicist!
** Also, Sheldon takes great pains to point out that his team t-shirt spells "The Wesley Crushers" (Those Who Crush Wesley) and not "The Wesley Crushers" (Multiple People Named Wesley Crusher).
*** Repeated reminders that Howard does not have a doctorate
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"Doctor Gablehauser"
"''Mister'' Wolowitz" }}
* On ''[[Everybody Loves Raymond]]'', Robert is gored by a bull, and a [[Running Gag]] is made of his insisting that he was injured in the "upper thigh." This finally snaps when he confronts the bull again. "You chased me down, and you gored me. RIGHT IN THE ASS!"
* In the ''[[Batman (TV series)|Batman]]'' TV series, everyone always refers to 'stately Wayne Manor', owned by 'millionaire Bruce Wayne' and his 'youthful ward Dick Grayson'.
* On ''[[Mystery Science Theater 3000]]'', one of these (see [[Real Life]] below) was used as a running gag in seasons 3-4: Whenever Joel referred to "comic books" the bots would take offense and insist on the term "graphic novels."
* ''[[Criminal Minds
* In the early seasons of ''[[Law &
{{quote|'''Ian O'Connell:''' May I ask you a question, sir? How with the map of Donegal on your mug did you ever end up with a name like Stone?
'''Stone:''' Happenstance, sir. Same way you ended up with the name of a ''real'' Irish patriot. }}
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* In ''[[Mad Dogs]]'', Rick is NOT an accountant; he's a Financial Consultant.
* On ''[[Cheers]]'', when Sam finally reveals to Carla the deep, dark secret that he's losing his hair, he quickly corrects her; he's not wearing a wig, he's using a "hair replacement system".
* In ''[[Z Nation]]'', the term used for killing someone is "mercy", used [[In-Universe]] by survivors to cope with the psychological impact of taking out a person, whether said individual is still alive or has been turned into one of the undead. Essentially, this is a fancy way of saying "taking someone out of his/her misery" given the show's dystopian premise, and could also be viewed as a sort of Last Rites as there is a ceremony done for every mercy committed.
== Music ==
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* Steve Albini does not "produce" albums, he "records" them.
* [[LL Cool J]] would like to remind everyone not to call it a "comeback", he's been there for years.
* Certain bands (such as The Tragically Hip) have "The" as being the first part of their official band
* [[Michael Jackson]] often referred to his "music videos" as "films" (even the standard 3-5 minute ones).
** Related: in an interview, [[Celine Dion]] stated that she felt that her video for ''It's All Coming Back To Me Now'' wasn't a music video. It was more like a "four minute movie".
* An [[Elvis Impersonator]] would generally prefer that you call him an Elvis "tribute artist".
== Newspaper Comics ==
* ''[[Calvin and Hobbes]]''
** "Calvin the BOLD demands he be addressed properly."
** "You seem to have mistaken me for some mild mannered youth! I am STUPENDOUS MAN!"
* In one ''[[Bloom County]]'' storyline, Opus becomes a garbageman but insists upon calling himself a "waste-management artisan". When Milo [[Lampshade Hanging|calls Opus out on how dumb that sounds]], he asks, "What did [[Ronald Reagan]] call those weapons shipments to Iran?" Milo answers "'Goodwill gifts'", to which Opus replies "I'm a waste-management artist, thank you very much."
* ''[[Peanuts]]'':
** In one strip where Snoopy's brothers Spike, Andy, and Olaf are in a waiting room at the veterinarian's office (waiting for Snoopy) Andy wonders why they look so different:
{{quote|'''Andy:''' If we're all brothers, how come I'm so fuzzy, you're so skinny, and Olaf is so fat?
'''Spike:''' I'm not skinny, I'm ''trim!''
'''Olaf:''' And I'm not fat!
'''Andy:''' You're not fat?
'''Olaf:''' I'm ''roly-poly!''}}
:* In another strip, Linus tells Charlie Brown that his teacher Ms. Othmar takes her job ''very'' seriously, preferring to be called an "educator" rather than a teacher.
== [[Oral Tradition]], Folklore, Myths and Legends ==
* In one folk tale, it's said that the Chinese used to give extravagant names to their firstborn sons but very plain names to their younger children. So when Chang, the second-born, sees his brother, Tikki-tikki-tembo-no-sa-rembo-chari-bari-ruchi-pip-peri-pembo, fall into the well, he tries to tell his mother... only to be repeatedly told to give his brother the proper respect by saying his name ''properly''. In the aftermath (the kid was alive, but suffered a terrible cold), the Chinese culture changed to where even firstborns had short, sensible names... like Chang.
** "Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo" was the first child's name, according to [[The Other Wiki]]. While claimed to be Chinese, about the only thing anybody agrees on about the tale's origins is the impossibility of it being Chinese.
** In the original version of the story, Tikki-Tikki-Tembo died because his brother kept running out of breath trying to say the absurdly long name and had to start all over again each time he tried to say it.
** It may originate from the Japanese folktale/comedy piece of [[wikipedia:Jugemu|Jugemu]].
** The story has been retold numerous times, both by word of mouth and in published form, and has acquired a large number of variations because of it. Versions differ on whether the child lives or dies, and the specific manner in which his rescue is delayed varies as well (though it is always due to multiple repetitions of the very long name). The various names attributed to the unfortunate kid include Nikki Nikki Tembo No So Rembo Oo Ma Moochi Gamma Gamma Goochi, Sticky Sticky Stumbo Nos E Rumbo E Pro Pennyo Hara Bara Brisko Nicky Prom Po Nish No Menyo Dumbricko, and Ikky Bikky Stumbo Nozo Rumbo Addy Baddy Basco Tana Rama Tasco, among others. There are even non-Chinese versions, which in retrospect show their roots a bit, such as "Eddie Coochie Catchie Cama Toka Nera Toka Noka Sama Kama Wacky Brown".
* Taoism teaches that to name something is to define it, and since the Tao is infinite, it has no definition, and therefore no name. So the ethereal force that permeates the universe is ''called'' the Tao for the sake of conversation, but it is not ''named'' the Tao because it has no name.
{{quote|''The Tao that can be known''
''Is not the true Tao.''
''The name that can be named''
''Is not the true name.
* Some, though not most, Christians get very offended if you call Christianity a religion. They prefer to be called "spiritual" rather than "religious", and may refer to their beliefs as a "faith" or a "relationship with God", but insist that it's not a religion. There are Christians online who have said things like "as a Christian, I follow no religion", and they sometimes refer to other religions as religion, except their own.
{{quote|"It's not a religion, it's a relationship!"}}
* Messianic Jews do not typically identify themselves as "Christians" — insisting, instead, that they are "Jews who found Jesus". "Traditional" Jews will usually fire back with, "Nope, you guys are ''definitely'' Christians!" Given that acceptance of Jesus as the Messiah is ''the'' point of divergence between Judaism and Christianity...
* The robes worn by a Catholic priest on Gaudete Sunday (the Third Sunday of Advent) and Laetare Sunday (the Fourth Sunday of Lent) are rose-colored. ''They are not pink.''
== Professional Wrestling ==
* Within ''[[World Wrestling Entertainment|WWE]]'', the people who wrestle are not "wrestlers", they're "superstars", and female wrestlers are called "divas". And the titles they wrestle for are not "belts", they're "championships". Nor are "wrestling fans" called such; they're the "WWE Universe". Also, it's not even called pro-wrestling anymore, it's "sports entertainment"... or at least, it was. "Sports" has been put in the banned list too, so now it's just "entertainment" or "action soap opera". And they don't even have "athletes" or "sportsmen", but "entertainers with tremendous athletic prowess". [[Vince McMahon]] doesn't seem to like to be reminded that he runs a professional wrestling company.
** This has led to a fun game of [[Loophole Abuse]] with rival company [[TNA]]. A few [[TNA]] fansites have begun to claim that [[TNA]] is now the number one wrestling company in the world, since [[World Wrestling Entertainment|WWE]] is fighting the world "wrestling" at every turn.
** Over the past decade or so, anyone whose seen to be particularly rebellious or anti-establishment within WWE (ex: [[Joey Styles]], [[Chris Jericho]], [[CM Punk]]) will make fun of the term "sports entertainment", boldly emphasize "wrestling", or simply do both. Interestingly, many of these people have some significant connection to [[ECW]].
* Similar to, and possibly the inspiration for, the ''Grinch'' movie example above, is wrestler "Rowdy" Roddy Piper. Piper is legitimately of Scottish descent, and often wears a traditional kilt to the ring. Of course, his opponent will invariably comment about how he doesn't want to wrestle someone in a "skirt". Piper's response: "It's not a skirt, it's a kilt!", [[Berserk Button|followed by some serious pummeling]].
* Current{{when}} WWE [[Corrupt Corporate Executive|Authority figure]] John Laurinaitis seems to make it fit to refer to himself (and have everyone call him) as "Mr. John Laurinaitis, Executive Vice President of Talent Relations and Interim General Manager of Monday Night Raw."
* Weapons that aren't supposed to be used in a wrestling match are commonly called "foreign objects". During a period of time in which WCW was trying to present itself as a cleaner and more tolerant alternative to the WWF, these were renamed "international objects" because standards and practices didn't like that use of the word foreign.
== Tabletop Games ==
* In the prodigious backstory of ''[[Warhammer Fantasy Battle]]'', there was once a great war between the [[Elves vs. Dwarves|elves and the dwarfs]]. While the war was inevitable due to deep social, economic and cultural differences, an overly arrogant elven king and some too-stubborn dwarf lords, helped with a dark elven [[False-Flag Operation]], the straw that broke the camel's back was when said elven king had the dwarven emissary to his court ''shaved'' for his own amusement. The subsequent war is known as "[[Serious Business|the War of Vengeance]]" to the dwarfs, who do not take kindly to use of the more common elven term, "the War of the Beard".
* In ''[[Planescape]]'', a tiefling will likely take offense to be called a "bastard" or "half-breed" (of course, who wouldn't?); "planetouched" they're okay with, though they prefer "Sir" or "Lady".
==
* In the musical version of ''[[The Scarlet Pimpernel (theatre)|The Scarlet Pimpernel]]'', Englishman Sir Percy Blakeney (a.k.a. the Scarlet Pimpernel) continually refers to his rival, the Frenchman Chauvelin, as "Mr. Shovelin".{{context|reason=How is this an example of the trope as written?}}
* An old Vaudeville joke involves a man who thinks he's found his long-lost friend. The straight man says nothing except "I'm not Rappaport", thereby giving the joke its name. It also inspired a successful play in [[The Eighties]] as well as a film starring Walter Mathau.
{{quote|'''Joker:''' Hey, Rappaport! I haven't seen you in ages. How have you been?
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* ''[[Les Misérables (theatre)|Les Misérables]]'': In response to being addressed by his prison number (24601), Valjean says "My ''name'' is Jean Valjean."
** Conversely, [[Inspector Javert]] makes a point of calling Valjean "24601" on several occasions.
== Toys ==
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* Berix in ''[[Bionicle]]: The Legend Reborn'' isn't a thief, he's a "collector"!
** Real-life ''Bionicle'' example, no longer in effect: the Toa carried ''tools'', not ''weapons''. LEGO was very cautious about this, because the word "weapon" apparently carries a less family-friendly meaning. When their violence-policy changed around 2006, it became free to use, and, just as well, the storyline suddenly became a lot more gorier.
* Toys such as [[G.I. Joe]] and the [[Transformers]], which are marketed for boys, '''are not dolls. They are ACTION FIGURES.''' ''Dolls'' are toys that girls play with, such as [[Barbie]] or [[Polly Pocket]].
** The term "action figure" was originally coined to describe the original 12 inch GI Joe toys. Those, however, actually were dolls. Modern Joe toys and Transformers are totally action figures.
== Video Games ==
* Locke of ''[[Final Fantasy VI]]''. He's not a thief, he's a ''treasure hunter''. And he'll '''rip your lungs out''' for saying otherwise! What makes this one line particularly funny is that the SNES translation is so aggressively kid-friendly that it refuses to acknowledge the existence of pubs and the word "death" and its variants... but threatening to pull out somebody's internal organs is A-OK?
** He's much less violent in the GBA remake. He'll just beat the crap out of you.
* Ashe from ''[[Final Fantasy XII]]'', leader of [[La Résistance]] - ''not'' the Insurgence.
* In ''[[Super Robot Wars Original Generation]]'', Dr. Marion Radom flat out ''refuses'' to call Kyosuke's and Excellen's machines the Alteisen and Weissritter, instead using their original, production-model names—the Gespenst Mk. III and Gespenst Mk. II Custom, respectively.
** Until ''OG2'', anyway, when she's impressed enough by their performance to call them by their codenames. Her selective hearing still keeps Excellen from getting a proper upgrade for "Weissy," though.
* ''[[Tales of the Abyss]]'':
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** And in ''[[Professor Layton and the Curious Village]]'', Layton repeatedly corrects that he is ''not'', in fact, a detective. This doesn't stop the people of St. Mystere from constantly ''thinking'' that's the case, though.
* Dex from ''[[Saints Row]]'' wishes you to know that it's "The Carnales" or "Los Carnales", not "The Los Carnales", as [[Department of Redundancy Department|"los" means "the" in Spanish]].
* In ''[[Fallout 2]]'', the citizens of Vault City keep a slave labor force, but insist upon calling them "Servants", and make a habit of expelling those who say otherwise.
** Similarly, in the ''[[Fallout 3]]'' DLC Pack "The Pitt", The leader of the Pitt Raiders, Ashur, insists that his subordinates refer to the slave populace as "workers", although, to be fair, he fully intends to release them once he and his wife find a cure for the rampant mutation present in what remains of Pittsburgh.
** Also in ''3'':
{{quote|'''Butch:''' I'm a barber, not a hairdresser! There's a difference!}}
** And in ''[[Fallout: New Vegas]]'', we have the subtle distinction between a scavenger and a ''prospector'', along with the varying ways to say Caesar's name <ref>
* An example from ''[[Gabriel Knight]] 2'': "I do not know what it's like where you're from, Mr. Knight, but people refer to me as Herr Doktor Klingmann here."
* In ''[[Pokémon Diamond and Pearl]]'', the Pastoria City Gym Leader, Wake, insists on being called "Crasher Wake". When you fight him, he's still called "Leader" Wake, just like any other Gym Leader - this is mostly due to character restrictions for in-battle text.
* ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass]]''. It is implied that Tetra got a lot of those after it was revealed that her {{spoiler|real name is ''Princess Zelda''}}, but in the game itself it only happens in one short exchange, where she told Niko to keep calling her "Tetra" instead of the other name. Tetra's level of anger about this seems to imply that it has happened before and started to annoy her.
* [[Game and Watch|It's Mr. Game & Watch. Not Mr. Game and Watch. If you type Mr. Game and Watch into Google, you don't get anything. Therefore, it's Game & Watch]].
* ''[[Tales of Symphonia]]'':
{{quote|"It's Magnius from the eastern ranch!"
"That's LORD Magnius, vermin!" }}
* In ''[[Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days
* Resident [[Black Magician Girl]] [[Dark Chick]] Chloe from the second ''[[Mana Khemia]]'' game insists that her curses and ''black magic that regularly summons demons in combat'' be referred to as "incantations".
* In ''[[The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion]]'' an aspiring Orc "knight" named Mazoga insists that the player call her "Sir Mazoga" or similar, and will get angry if the player does not. Depending on dialog choices and how the player handles the associated quest, she eventually realizes she's being a pompous jerk.
* Dr. Hello in ''[[Treasure Hunter G]]'' gets rather peeved when Red addresses him as just that, insisting on being called "the last remaining mad scientist, Dr. Hello"
* Tear from ''[[Recettear]]'' is a loan shark (not quite [[All Devouring Black Hole Loan Sharks|that]] bad, she's nice and helpful about it) but doesn't like to be called as such.
* Creator version. The makers of the ''[[When They Cry]]'' franchise insist their [[Visual Novel]]'s are "sound novels" due to their reliance on [[Crowning Music of Awesome|reliance on]] [[Hell Is That Noise|sound]].
* In ''[[Strong Bad's
* [[Phoenix Wright]] is a lawyer. Not a dentist, policemen, detective or parliamentarian. And ''no'', his badge is not made of plastic and not available in a Gumball Machine. (He has to insist on those facts so frequently, it actually strikes him as ''strange'' whenever anyone actually gets it right.) Speaking of which, there's the whole ladder-versus-stepladder debate that happens [[Once an Episode|in just about every game]].
* ''[[Team Fortress 2]]'':
**
{{quote|'''Sniper:''' Dad? Dad, I'm a--Ye--Not a "crazed gunman", dad, I'm an assassin!... Well, the difference bein' one is a job and the other's mental sickness!}}
* ''[[Fire Emblem Elibe]]''. Canas would like to remind you that it is incorrect to refer to [[Casting a Shadow|the Elder magic that he practices]] as [[Dark Is Not Evil|"Dark" magic]].
* In ''[[The Adventures of Sam & Max:
* The ''[[Dwarf Fortress]]'' community has any mention of possible failure or defeat referred to as "[[Hilarity Ensues|Fun]]" (after the DF motto "losing is fun"). Or "!!FUN!!" if some part of it is !!on fire!!. And insist on calling {{spoiler|[[Physical Hell|hell]]}} Hidden Fun Stuff. {{spoiler|[[The Legions of Hell|Demons]]}} are Clowns, and {{spoiler|[[Unobtanium|adamantine]]}} is cotton candy
* In ''[[Eien no Aselia]]'' theres a kind of pastry that's basically identical to a waffle filled with some sort of sugary fruit. Lemuria constantly corrects him when he calls it a waffle instead of a yofwal, while in turn he stubbornly refuses to refer to them as anything ''but'' waffles.
* Lara Croft of ''[[Tomb Raider]]'' uses a more honest euphemism than most examples of this trope. "Tomb Raider" can be converted to "Grave Robber" just by replacing words with their synonyms.
* In ''[[Rune Factory Tides of Destiny]]'' during Joe's second frienship event Sonja calls Joe a 'pervert' for looking through a crack in the womens' bath. He insists that he is a 'treasure hunter' who is after 'a different sort of treasure'.
* ''[[Fate Extra]]'' gives you the option to beat on of the most powerful characters in the [[Nasuverse]], they balance this out by telling you at every opportunity that the only reason you can win is because her Master is a raging moron.
* ''[[Katawa Shoujo]]'':
** This comes up in a context surprisingly unrelated to any disabilities: {{spoiler|Lilly and Shizune}} both insist that their [[Big Fancy House]]s are not "mansion(s)".
** {{spoiler|Lilly Satou}}, after Hisao realizes she is a [[Covert Pervert]], will say that she has "a healthy adolescent sex drive".
* This pops up in an amusing conversation between Shepard and Tali in ''[[Mass Effect 3]]'':
{{quote|'''Shepard''': How are [[Ill Girl|you]] getting drunk?
'''Tali''': ''(completely plastered)'' Veeeeeeery carefully. Turian brandy, triple filtered, then introduced into the suit via an emergency induction port.
'''Shepard''': ...that's a straw, Tali.
'''Tali''': ''Emerrrrrgency. Induction. Port.'' }}
* [[Barbarian Hero|'''The''' Iron Bull]] in ''[[Dragon Age: Inquisition]]''. He is ''not'' an Iron Bull, he is [[Spell My Name with a "The"|'''''The''''' Iron Bull]], and he will ''not'' let you forget it.
{{quote|'''The Iron Bull:''' Also, it's 'THE Iron Bull.' I like having an article at the front. It makes it sound like I'm not even a person, just a mindless weapon, an implement of destruction... That really works for me.}}
== Web Animation ==
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** They have a word for that. PINK!
** And Doc isn't a doctor. He's a medic.
== Web Comics ==
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** Othar Tryggvassen, '''[[Gentleman Adventurer]]!'''. It gets so ingrained that Krosp once does the correction reflexively without Othar present (before stopping halfway and noticing to his horror what he'd just done).
** And the comic itself, which is a part of the Gaslamp Fantasy genre, most definitely not [[Steampunk]].
** And when a mad scientist is playing with them, « ...they're not dolls! They're ''[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20181109 research manikins]''».
** In the side-story that ran in 2022, one character objects to being called "thief". Or "rogue". [https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20221121 She's a ''librarian''.]
* ''[[Pokémon-X]]'': His name is Jim Gai, but you can just call him Gym Guy. Except when he randomly reverses this. It seems that whatever spelling he prefers is the one that the protagonists did not just use.
* ''[[Homestuck]]'':
Line 474 ⟶ 484:
** [[Clarke's Third Law|Eridan]] insists that he's not using fake magic bullshit and that you call his new weapon a science [[Verbal Tic|wwand]].
** [[Andrew Hussie]] doesn't merely draw ''Homestuck''. [[Chewing the Scenery|HE CONJURES THIS INTREPID FANTASYSCAPE WITH TEARS BLED FROM THE WISDOM-WEARY EYES OF FIFTY THOUSAND IMAGINARY MAGICIANS, etc etc]]
* ''[[Silent Hill: Promise]]'' doesn't have pages, it has '''screens'''.
* ''[[Blade Bunny]]''. People keep mistaking Bunny for some assassin named Rabbit or Hare or something. It's Bunny!
* ''[[Sam and Fuzzy]]''. If you're in the Ninja Mafia, does that make you a [[Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot|Ninja Mafioso]]?
* In the fantasy theme of ''[[Irregular Webcomic]]'', Mordekai is not a thief. He is a "lovable rogue."
* The protagonist of ''[[Catena]]'' may be named Treiss, but as far as her housemate Bear is concerned, her name is Chinchilla. Full stop. Nobody really knows why, given that she's actually a snow leopard...
* ''[[Kit N Kay Boodle]]'': Everyone must yiff (or boink, or pound)! The word sex is never used to describe what everyone is doing in every panel, which encourages the dissonance between the cutesy, cartoony art style and the extremely messy sexual content.
* Mary from ''[[Dubious Company]]'' learned that around [[God Save Us From the Queen|Queen Marl]], elves and elfs are [[Fantastic Racism|completely]] different races.
** Also Elator's [[Girlish Pigtails|hair]] is '''[[Rated "M" for Manly|manly]]'''.
* In ''[[Vattu]]'': It's '''Lord''' Morrian.
* ''[[Inhuman]]''. They're not furries, they're aliens.
* In ''[[Nedroid]]'' there are no vampires, only [http://nedroid.com/2010/10/open-door/ Draculas].
* ''[[Chopping Block]]'' had Butch [http://choppingblock.keenspot.com/d/20010815.html participate] in the endless strife: it's a [[Voodoo Doll|Voodoo action figure]]!
* ''[[El Goonish Shive]]: [[Side-Story Bonus Art|Newspaper]]'' [http://www.egscomics.com/egsnp.php?id=181 Fairy Doll customization arc] had Tedd (currently catgirl) commenting on Susan acting more girly than she [[Straw Feminist|used to pretend at being]]. Susan still [[Hidden Heart of Gold|argues]] that despite what the spell's name in the spellbook says, and her own musing aloud about playing dress-up with it, the object in question should be called an "action figure".
* In ''[[Dilbert]]'' a robot [https://dilbert.com/strip/2017-10-28 insists] on not being a droid. Or computer.
* ''[[Nerf NOW!!]]'' has a <s>[[The Shill|shill]]</s> [https://www.nerfnow.com/comic/2632 Sponsored Devotee].
* ''Savage Chickens'': Pirates [https://www.savagechickens.com/2019/09/terminology.html demand to] stop being called "sea burglars".
== Web Original ==
* Larry Damone, in the ''[[Whateley Universe]]'', is a mutant with the codename "The Man Called Vengeance". He can't get people to stop calling him just "Vengeance". His team leader Fantastico calls him "Vengie", which really bugs him.
* ''[[Tasakeru]]'': The intelligent mammal species are called "sentients". Only non-intelligent species are referred to as "animals".
* Old Man from ''[[The Legend of Neil]]'': [https://web.archive.org/web/20130602160327/http://www.effinfunny.com/legend-of-neil/seasons?vid=342&sid=1 "You may call me... '*Old* Man'."]
** It also applies to Old Man's brother... who is also named "Old Man".
* In ''[[Echo Chamber]]'''s "Trope Of The Week" episode [[Unresolved Sexual Tension]] Dana and Tom are trying to discuss their characters separately from themselves, in order to keep themselves distant from their roles. It leads to a lot of "I will... I mean she will..."
Line 497 ⟶ 510:
** That's little apple!
** We're not pistachios. We're mustachios.
* ''[[The Onion]]'': It's not a crack house, it's [https://www.theonion.com/its-not-a-crack-house-its-a-crack-home-1819583284 a crack ''home'']!
* [[Tobuscus]]'s friend, Gabe, would like everyone to know that his nickname is "Gabe-uscus", not "[[Embarrassing Nickname|Gaybuscus]]". Too bad Toby insists on pronouncing it without the pause. Parodied in [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfwXi5LgNms Tobuscus Animated Adventures] when he insists on the pronunciation even as Zombie!Toby is eating him.
* ''[[SCP Foundation]]'':
** [https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-953 SCP-953] is [[Yokai|a kumiho]], and gets [[Berserk Button|''very'' angry]] if someone refers to her as a "[[kitsune]]". In order to prevent any operatives from asking "What's the difference?" (and possibly getting killed), a member of the O5 Council has required personnel to refer to her by her proper designation, with the addendum stating: "Personnel asking what the difference is are to be reminded of the difference between a Cherokee Indian and a New Delhi Indian." Another addendum following the death of Agent [[Megatokyo|Gallagher]] calls for the immediate reassigning of any personnel with current or prior ties to the "furry" or "otaku" communities.
== Western Animation ==
Line 532 ⟶ 547:
'''Kyle:''' I'm a ''paladin'', Cartman!
'''Cartman:''' Jews can't be paladins! }}
* From ''[[Codename: Kids Next Door]]''; Numbuh Four is ''not'' "pretty". He's ''handsome''.
* From ''[[The Simpsons (animation)|The Simpsons]]'':
{{quote|'''Girl:''' Milhouse has cooties!
'''Milhouse:''' It's called ''lice'', and it's nothing to be ashamed of! }}
** Homer meeting the President of the Globex Corporation:
{{quote|'''Homer''': Wow, my boss.
'''Hank Scorpio''': Don't call me that word. I don't like things that elevate me above the other people. I'm just like you. Oh, sure, I come later in the day, I get paid a lot more, and I take longer vacations, but I don't like the word "boss". }}
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* In the ''Wizard of Oz'' parody episode of ''[[Phineas and Ferb]]'', Doctor Doofenshmirtz is insistent that he's a warlock, not a witch. The credits even list him as "Doofen<s>witch</s>warlock."
** From the episode "Candace Gets Busted:" It's not a party, it's an intimate get-together!
* ''[[Archer]]''
** The episode "Skytanic" has the repeated insistence that the titular ship isn't a ''zeppelin'', but a ''rigid airship'' filled with ''helium''. Archer ''never'' gets it, constantly referring to the thing as a hydrogen-filled death trap.
{{quote|'''Lana''': ...and what part of that are you still not getting?
'''Archer''': Well, obviously the whole concept, Lana! We didn't all go to science camp! }}
** One episode shows that Archer is surprisingly knowledgable - and critical - of a certain Orwellian work:
{{quote|'''Lana:''' No, ''[[Animal Farm]]''?
'''Ceril:''' How can you not get that?
'''Archer:''' Ceril, I know what an Animal Farm is.
'''Lana:''' NO, ''[[Animal Farm]]''! It's a book!
'''Archer:''' No, it isn't, Lana, it's an allegorical novella about Stalinism by George Orwell, and spoiler alert, it ''sucks''!}}
* Dr Orpheus from ''[[The Venture Brothers]]'' is a ''necromancer''. Although he'll be the first to admit that he uses that title because Sorcerer or Magician sounds goofy nowadays.
* The full title of the game "Big Ball" from ''[[Chowder]]''. Apparently, it's bad luck not to refer to [[Overly Long Name|Field Tournament Style Up and Down On the Ground Manja Flanja Blanja Banja Ishka Bibble Babble Flabble Doma Roma Floma Boma Jingle Jangle Every Angle Bricka Bracka Flacka Stacka Two Ton Rerun Free for All Big Ball]] by its full name.
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{{quote|'''Carter''': Not enough? Fine. Make it $20,000. How do you spell Kichwa?
'''Peter''': Yeah, you know what? Screw the Kichwa. Make it out to Peter. P-E-T-E... }}
* In ''[[Dan Vs.]]''
{{quote|'''Chris:''' So I'm expendable?
'''Dan:''' Let's just say "non-vital", it's nicer. }}
* ''[[Phineas and Ferb]]'': Buford wasn't crying. He was sweating through his eyes. Major Monogram later said the same thing in the movie. (see above)
** Again with Buford when he allowed Doofenshmirtz and his date to enter Phineas and Ferb's platypus-themed restaurant without a reservation. Doof didn't bribe Buford. He, to quote Buford, "caught my attention in a monetary fashion".
* ''[[DuckTales (1987)]]''
** The episode "Once Upon a Dime" had [[Scrooge McDuck]] wearing a kilt and correcting some non-Scots who called it a skirt.
** Also, Scrooge never makes a "colossal blunder" when making decisions. A "business failure" maybe, but never a colossal blunder. Truthfully, he's never made one of those either, and never intends to start, but should he ever truly lose money on an poorly done and/or ill-conceived investment or project, he'd prefer "business failure".
* ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic]]'', specifically [[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic/Recap/S1/E19 A Dog and Pony Show|"A Dog and Pony Show"]]: "I am NOT whining; I am ''complaining''!"
** Then of course, there's Trixie, or as she prefers, '''[[Spell My Name with a "The"|The]] [[The Magnificent|Great and Powerful]] [[Miles Gloriosus|Trixie]]!'''
** The underdog candidate in ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic/Recap/S2
* As Bender of ''[[Futurama]]'' puts it, [[Blackmail Is Such an Ugly Word|"I Prefer 'Extortion'. The 'X' makes it sound cool."]]
* In ''Cranberry Christmas'', Mr. Whiskers and Cyrus Grape get into an argument over who owns a nearby body of water, and whether or not it is a pond or a cranberry bog. Any time it is mentioned throughout the special, the other will insist their term is the correct one. Cyrus even does this [[Breaking the Fourth Wall|to the audience]]. "That's right, I said '''pond'''."
* Virgil's catchphrase in ''[[Mighty Max]]'' was "I am not a chicken - I am a fowl," used after Max inevitably calls him a chicken at least once an episode.
* The Inspector from [[The Pink Panther (animation)|''The Pink Panther'' cartoon series]]: "Don't say ''si'', say ''oui''."
* Poison Ivy does ''not'' use a [[Love Potion]] on victims; as she explains in the 2019 ''[[Harley Quinn]]'' series, she uses "distilled pheromones which make men fall in love with me then kills them."
{{quote|'''[[Non-Human Sidekick| Frank]] and Harley:''' So, it's a love potion.}}
* In ''[[Disenchantment]]'', [[Cute Monster Girl|Oona]] becomes ''very'' angry when she overhears Zøg claiming she is a reptile. Her people are, in fact, amphibians.
* In the first episode of ''[[Beware the Batman]]'', a high-speed chase ensues with the hero - in the Batmobile, of course - pursuing Professor Pyg and Mr. Toad:
{{quote|'''Mr. Toad:''' Boss, it's the Bat-guy!
'''Professor Pyg:''' It's Bat''man'', Toad, remember, [[Villainous Valor| respect our enemies]].}}
== Real Life ==
* The [[East Germany|German Democratic Republic]] used this trope a lot:
** Renaming its more oppressive features, similar to [[People's Republic of Tyranny]] - the Berlin Wall was officially referred to as the ''Anti-Imperialistischer''/''Antifaschistischer Schutzwall'' (anti-imperialist or anti-fascist protection wall), both terms targeted at [[West Germany]].
** Many items related to religious holidays were renamed to comply with atheist ideology. Easter bunny-shaped chocolate was called a ''Frühlingsschokoladenhohlkörper'' (springtime chocolate hollow body) and angel figurines on Christmas trees were called ''geflügelte Jahresendfigur'' (winged end-of-the-year figurines). Even for a language like German that's used to long concatenated words, they sound rather ridiculous. Scholarship is divided about how much these terms really caught on.
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** A good case in point is waterboarding, which has shifted from "torture" (Khmer Rouge, Vietnam) to "enhanced interrogation technique" (War on Terror, Spanish-American War) several times in the past century and a half depending on whether the US government or its enemies were using it.
*** Actually the use during the Spanish-American War was never denied as being torture, and in fact American soldiers were court-martialed for using it. The War on Terror "enhanced interrogation" program is quite possibly the first time in history that anybody has denied that it's torture.
**** Probably because the 'waterboarding' allegedly used at Gitmo is far milder than the waterboarding used as a form of torture in prior wars—and moreso, is identical to the 'simulated drowning exercise' used in SEAL training and survival school. There is an understandable reluctance to call something a torture technique when its routinely used on your own trainees and who routinely survive it with no lasting ill effects.
** Another good example is [[British Political System|the British Labour Party]] insisting the current government is ''not'' a "coalition", it's a "Conservative-led government" to focus attention on their old enimies rather than their sometime allies.
* Richard M. Stallman refers to "GNU/Linux"
** Since the rationale is that Linux is only a gear in the box while the "userland" is mostly, when not completely, GNU made, just like you say "Windows 7" not WINNT or "Mac OS X" not XNU, you should say GNU, not Linux, not even "GNU/Linux", that was actually a ''concession'' because of how popular that name is, it has a nice ring to it. Of course current distributions are so complex that they constitute their own brand of OS altogether.
** "GNU/Linux" is also useful for distinguishing desktop and server Linux distributions, which use much GNU code, from "uClinux" or Linux on embedded devices, which replace most of the GNU code with lighter-weight alternatives.
** And while we're on the subject, remember that you're supposed to pronounce it ''GNU '''slash''' Linux'', merely saying ''GNU Linux'' won't do.
** Stallman also stresses the difference between "freeware", that is, software that costs $0.00 but still has some restrictions on its use, and "free software", which can be used with absolutely no restrictions and is usually, but not necessarily, free of cost. He refers to the former as "free as in beer" and the latter as "free as in speech".
*** Practically, e.g. Debian has packages of non-FLOSS freeware (including available-for-free proprietary firmware) put into a separate software repository, that's named "non-free" and is not enabled in default settings (so that you can be sure about the licenses without personally going through them, if you want to).
** Whatever you do, don't confuse [[We ARE Struggling Together!|"free software" and "open-source software"]] around members of the Free Software Foundation (especially Stallman) or Open Source Initiative.
** Possibly referenced in ''[[Questionable Content]]'' [http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1105 #1105].
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** The University of Maine seems like it, but the students don't care. Unless you add an "in Machias" or a "Farmington", then most will assume you are talking about the flagship campus in Orono. Which some people call the university: simply Orono, since the town is known by most everybody who doesn't live there as "the location of the University of Maine" or "that one town near Bangor".
** The athletic department at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee insists that its teams be referred to as "Milwaukee" in the media. This is somewhat [[Justified Trope]] in that the school's name is a relic from the days when it was a satellite campus of the more widely-known University of Wisconsin-Madison and would be difficult to outright change for legal reasons. Still, you'd think that with all this insistence that they'd have changed the department's official domain name from "uwmpanthers.com" a long time ago.
** The administrators of the California Institute of Technology insist on the school's name being abbreviated as "Caltech", not "Cal Tech". Ostensibly this is to avoid being lumped in with schools like Georgia Tech or Texas Tech - there's some justification in the fact that most "Techs" [[Jack of All Trades|are public or state universities hosting tens of thousands of undergraduates with a wide variety of majors and scholastic aptitudes]], while Caltech is a private school with around 2000 students (including undergrads AND grads) and [[Sacrificed Basic Skill for Awesome Training|an intense focus on science and engineering]].
** There is only one "Mizzou": The University of Missouri - Columbia. University of Missouri - Kansas City, University of Missouri - St. Louis and Missouri State University are not Mizzou.
*** On the subject of universities - people from Canada (and possibly the US) use the term fairly interchangeably - calling it university, school, college, whatever. Ask a British university student "how school's going," however, and they will promptly bite your face off. They do not go to school. School is for children.
*** There's also the differentiation between 'university' and 'college'. Uni is where you go to get a degree (Honours, Masters, PhDs etc); college is where you go to get vocational training or high school-level qualifications. As such, there is some snobbery, so some uni students will be offended by any reference to their place of education as a college. (The exception being [[Oxbridge]], where the unis are divided into separate colleges, which are a bit like houses in schools; the word in this context has a completely different meaning to any other context.)
*** Unless you go to Dartmouth College, which is, technically, a university. But don't call it "Dartmouth University" when talking to an alum. Even grad students will say, for example, "Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College."
** The University of California, Berkeley discourages people from calling it UCB or The University of California '''at''' Berkeley, but calling it Berkeley, Cal, California, UC Berkeley, or by its whole name is acceptable.
* Natives of the state of Indiana are not Indianans, they are Hoosiers. This despite the fact nobody actually knows what a Hoosier ''is''. Really. There's [[wikipedia:Hoosier|no known etymology]] of the term.
** And the ''real'' natives aren't Indians, they're Native Americans, First Nations, or Native people.
*** And the ''real-real'' Native Americans (''pace'' Pierre Burton) are by definition people born within America. Descendants of tribes who were not nomadic similarly object to descendants of nomadic tribes being elevated to "First Nation" status. Inuit people don't like to be called Eskimo, but non-Inuit northern tribes don't like having their name subsumed. [[N-Word Privileges|This will go on and on and on and on and never ever die]].
* [[Private Military Contractor
* The [[Catch Phrase|trademark joke]] from comedian [[Gabriel Iglesias]] is "I'm not fat, I'm fluffy".
* [[Those Wacky Nazis]] got in on the act too. Joseph Goebbels apparently insisted that people refer to him by his proper title of Doctor Joseph Goebbels.
** This was a typical element of German culture, especially of the period, and has nothing to do with Nazism. In title-obsessed Germany, none of a typical professor's titles are considered to subsume or supersede any of the others, and they should be formally addressed as "Herr <ref>or Frau</ref> Professor Doktor", with all their titles listed on descending order following "Herr".<ref>For example, the eminent, if slightly ludicrous, "Herr Professor Doktor Docktor Honorius Kausar Multiplex Paul Krutzen"</ref> And traditionally, Herr Doktor Professor's wife would be formally addressed as "Frau Professor", though this does not traditionally apply the other way aroud ("Herr Professor" for the husband of a female professor.)
** An incidence which occurs quite regularly within academia. A doctor is someone who holds a PhD, a professor is someone who holds the position of professor at a university (often the instructors are not technically professors, but lecturers).
** Also, a Professor will bite your head off if referred to as "Doctor". A Doctor will be pretty chuffed to be called "Professor".
** Irish millionaire Michael Smurfit insists on being referred to as "Dr. Smurfit", even though his Doctor of Law is only an honorary degree and honorary doctors rarely use the title. And people with a JD never use the title "doctor" anyway.
* Hormel, the maker of SPAM luncheon meat, really hate that one of their brand names has been co-opted to mean "unsolicited e-mail advertising". So much so that they used to threaten to sue anyone who used "spam" in a name for a computer program.
** They've [http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20091013192409/http://www.spam.com/about/internet.aspx relaxed a little bit]; now they allow "spam" (no caps) to mean junk mail while "SPAM luncheon meat" (all caps) is the meat product.
* Don't refer to [[Semper Fi|U.S. Marines]] as "soldiers" in the presence of a Marine, unless you're looking to pick a fight. Soldiers, by definition, [[Fun with Acronyms|Aren't Ready for Marines Yet]].
** Relatedly, "ex-Marine" is considered rude when used for anyone who got an Honorable Discharge from the USMC. Once a Marine, always a Marine, so "retired", "veteran", "inactive", and so on are variously preferred.
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* Some creators of anthropomorphic animal illustration are ''very'' insistent on not being called "[[Furry Fandom|furry artists]]."
* Note the use of "illustration" rather than "art" in the above point. This is to pacify those who insist that only [[True Art]] be referred to as such.
** Actually that doesn't count at all. Illustration is a valid subset ''of'' art. It is correctly used when referring to art that specifically ''illustrates'' something, i.e., a story. Art is a much broader category. It would be unclear and vague if the above point had said "some creators of anthropomorphic ''art''"
* As of sometime in 2008, the official term for people serving in AmeriCorps is "AmeriCorps members."
** Relatedly, many individuals serving in AmeriCorps* VISTA, a Johnson-era program specializing in indirect service that was brought under the AmeriCorps banner in the 90s (and continues to use separate and frequently more restrictive training, rules and procedures from standard AmeriCorps) insist on being called Vistas, or at least on adding VISTA to whenever referring to themselves as AmeriCorps members.
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*** Look, it's not all security. That is another problem: some try to make a distinction (white hat and black hat), but fail to get the point that the original hacker culture was not at all centered around security. They were centered around programming. Security was interesting but not the world. Meanwhile, the cracker is centered around breaking security.
** This is one of those things that's over the heads of most people. Only really those within this culture really know the difference.
* Expect a polite correction if you refer to a Central European country from the former [[Commie Land|Soviet bloc]] as being in Eastern Europe in the presence of a resident of one of these countries, especially the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland or Hungary. Czechs will point out that Prague is west of Vienna and nobody calls Austria Eastern Europe, and Poles will point out that the geographical centre of Europe is arguably located in their country. Although most people would argue it's in [http://toolserver.org/~geohack/geohack.php?pagename=Geographical_midpoint_of_Europe¶ms=54_54_N_25_19_E_type:landmark&title=Purnu%C5%A1k%C4%97s+%28centre+of+gravity%29 Lithuania]{{Dead link}}.
* In places that have changed hands often or recently, the name by which you call a country or city has a chance of offending the listener. It might well be [[Shout-Out|Istanbul, not Constantinople]] ... but I don't recommend using the former among a crowd of Greeks. Nor would it be a smart move to refer to "Gdansk" in the presence of anyone whose grandparents were forcibly expelled from what had been the German city of Danzig for the millennium preceding WWII.
* The British art gallery brand Tate once asked taxi drivers to correct passengers wanting to go to "the Tate"; they actually wanted to go to "Tate Britain". Spell My Name ''[[Inverted Trope|Without]]'' a The, to distinguish the original gallery (now Tate Britain) from the newer Tate Modern gallery which is a couple of miles away from the original gallery. To which a snarky fare might reply, "OK, take me to the British Museum instead."
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* And conversely, gays and lesbians can be touchy about terminology, and [[N-Word Privileges|one person's insult can be another person's preferred identity.]] And there's no guide or annual newsletter, so have fun with that.
* Never call a zoophile a "bestialist". They ''love'' their animals, and bestialists are simply perverts who only use animals for sex.
* People can get like this over [[It Is Pronounced "Tro-PAY"|their names being pronounced or spelled wrong (e.g. Johan is pronounced "Yo-han").]] Justified
* If you're ever in the Southern US, expect to get corrected a lot if you refer to the Civil War as the Civil
** Not "corrected" so much as expect to hear a number of lame jokes about the other names. We all grew up calling it the Civil War in history class, after all.
*** At this point any "offended" Southerner is likely just indulging in leg-pulling. If you run into genuine offense over this terminology you're deep in ''[[Deliverance]]'' territory.
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** In fact, not all Southerners take kindly to having their land called the "Southern U.S." or even the "Southeast." Best to stick with "The South."
* The above-mentioned phenomenon of having different names with the different sides being involved also applies to wars other than the American Civil War. For instance:
** The battle that resulted in the defeat of the Teutonic Knights by a Polish-Lithuanian army is known as Grunwald by the Poles and (the first battle of) Tannenberg by Germans.
** One big English victory in the [[Hundred Years' War]] is called the battle of Poitiers in English, but that of Maupertuis in French (probably to avoid association with the earlier battle of Tours and Poitiers, in which Charles Martel defeated the Arabs).
** Napoleon's first defeat in the field is called the battle of Aspern by the victorious Austrians and pretty much everybody else, while many French to this day persist on calling it the battle of Essling.
** One of the early battles of the Wars of Liberation is called Lützen by the victorious French, but Großgörschen by the Prussians and Russians, probably to avoid confusion with the battle of Lützen in the [[Thirty Years' War]] in which king Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden was killed.
** Napoleon's defeat on 18 June
** The Battle of the Bulge is called the Ardennes Offensive in German.
***Actually some English speakers call it that too. And they have the right of it in many ways. Not only is it a campaign not a battle (it is sprawled out over time and space rather than being concentrated like a traditional battle and includes smaller battles and sieges) but every offensive that is not blasted to smithereens the moment it leaves the starting line creates a bulge (the technical term is salient). Just like every time someone punches someone else in the abdomen it creates a temporary dent. Having a "bulge" is nothing special to identify it by.
** The Eastern Front of [[World War II]] is known as "The Great Patriotic War" in Russia.
*** Similarly, the Pacific Front of [[World War II]] is known as "The Asia-Pacific War" in Japan.
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*** And don't you dare confuse Irish with Scottish!
** Don't call an Afrikaner "Dutch" or even "kind of like the Dutch". Even though they're normally the first to mention their Dutch heritage or explain themselves to foreigners, if a foreigner then comes to the conclusion that they're "basically Dutch people in Africa" it tends to get them very upset. The very fact that they call ourselves Afrikaners (Dutch and old Afrikaans for "African") comes from a time when they were trying to make it very clear that they didn't want to pay taxes to a bunch of Europeans.
** Confuse the different Scandinavian countries. I dare you! To clear up: The Scandinavian countries have much in common, and are generally on very good terms with each other, but do not take kindly to foreigners thinking a Dane is a Norwegian (or vice versa) or Norway being a part of Sweden.
** Also, Sweden is '''not''' to be confused with Switzerland.
* The word "American" was generally used to refer to New Englanders [[Older Than They Think
** Actually, this is more relevant depending on the person you're talking to. If you are talking to left-wing defender, professors, and university students (usually the ones related to history, sociology, etc), and some newspapers (then again, it shows a lot the opinion of the
* Many holders of PhD degrees, as well as MD, DDS, and similar medical degrees are emphatically insistent on being referred to as ''Dr.'' Your Name Here, '''not''' Mr./Ms./Mrs. thankyouverymuch. When working in the retail or service industry, this is typically a sign that the person is going to be very difficult to deal with.
** Especially since people like this often expect you to know this simply by looking at them.
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* Dick Gregory would rather be known as a humourist than a comedian, the former being less elitist and planned out than the latter.
* In the theater world, there is a clear distinction between a soundboard operator and sound engineer. An operator simply operates, and often does little more than turn mics on and off at the beginning and end of the show, with a little bit of pre-show music. An engineer fiddles with the settings of every mic, sometimes mid-show, runs a complex set of music and sound effects, and will be very offended if you call them an operator.
* In 2009, US Senator Barbara Boxer caught some heat while holding a congressional hearing. When Brigadier General Michael Walsh addressed her as "ma'am", she requested that he address her as "Senator". This touched off a nationwide debate as to whether it was acceptable for the officer to abide by military conventions (in which "ma'am" is an accepted term for all women) or if he should address the senator by her preferred honorific.
** Notably, General Walsh did not seem offended by her request. As a general officer in the US Military, he was probably well accustomed to people who [[Don't Call Me "Sir"!|didn't like being called "Sir" or "Ma'am"]]
* Walmart has no employees. They call them "associates". Also, they don't make profit, but "surplus".
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** Also, Cast Members have "roles" rather than job descriptions.
** Not just at the parks: employees of the publishing arm, a thousand miles from Florida, are Cast Members.
** And whenever (off-duty or retired) character performers are asked about their jobs, they would say something along the lines of "I'm friends with [[Frozen (Disney film)|Elsa]]" rather than "I play the role of Elsa" or "I'm Elsa", in order to stick to [[Kayfabe|character integrity]], where face characters are by most circumstances not allowed to break character.
* Most Quebec sovereigntists don't like to be called separatists because that term has a negative connotation; it puts emphasis on the destruction of the country by separation, and is reminiscent of [[Western Terrorists|terrorism]].
** Interestingly, while the term was first used by sovereigntist politicians who wanted to avoid the negative connotations of "separatist", it has now become the most widely used term, including by most federalists. "Separatist" is now often (especially in sovereigntist circles) associated with fear-mongering and demagogy.
* Trostky''ite'' is a right-wing and/or [[Commie Land|Stalinist]] term of abuse. Trotsky''ist'' is someone who agrees with the political theories of [[Leon Trotsky]].
** Except in the real Stalinist USSR they were called "trotsk''ist''y", literally "trotsky''ists''", even in the most accusing official press.
* Not uncommon in the retail industry, at least when referring to part-time employees, salespeople become sales associates, stylists, style consultant and so on. Generally, the more high end the retailer the more important-sounding your job title becomes.
** Starbucks employees are referred to as "partners." In a way, [[From a Certain Point of View|this is sorta kinda technically true]], if you've been around long enough for your employee stock options to fully vest.
*** On that note, Starbucks does ''not'' have small/medium/large drinks.
* People who have no problem being a "minority" will object to being called "abnormal" or "unusual", because of the negative connotations of the latter. [[Rule of Cautious Editing Judgment|Let's leave it at that]].
* Police officers are known for stressing that Tasers and the such are ''less'' lethal weapons, as opposed to non-lethal weaponry. After all, lucky shots (or unlucky, depending on your point of view) can happen. Or the target may have a heart problem.
** There is also no such thing as a bulletproof
*** From an etymological standpoint, there's nothing wrong with calling a particular protective garment bulletproof, providing you remember a proof is a test, not a guarantee it will stop a bullet. Well, it also needs to have had a test round fired at it.
* Vegetarians and vegans often refer to meat as "corpses" or "cadavers" and animal testing as "vivisection."
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* If it has flips, it's not [[Parkour]], it's free-running.
** By definition, parkour applies jumping, climbing and similar acrobatics to reach a destination as efficiently as possible. Flips, seen more in free-running, don't usually help your speed.
* To many pro-life/anti-abortion activists, an unborn baby is a "baby"
** That said, nobody really objects if the word "baby" is applied to a fetus outside of the abortion context - how many people have you heard say "the fetus just kicked"? In this case and many others, both sides tend to be guilty of getting into pointless semantic rows.
*** It can go the other way, too, with such bizarre euphemisms as "products of conception" or even "uterine contents".
** Along the same lines, "pro-life" and "pro-choice" are the correct terms to
*** If one really wants to set them off, refer to them as "anti-life"/"pro-death" and "anti-choice". This is true of nearly any political debate; the prefix "anti-" carries an air of negativity, and the suffix "-ist" suggests that this one behavior or belief is the person's only defining characteristic.
* Most people don't know the difference between a firearm's clip and a magazine. Referring to the latter as the former is often [[Berserk Button|a remarkably effective method of trolling firearms enthusiasts]].
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* Target (the department store) thrives on this trope. Customers are "Guests". Employees are "Team Members". Bosses are "Team Leaders". Meetings are "Huddles". The manager is the "Leader on Duty". Human Resources is the "Team Service Center". This also leads to a mouthful of saying things like "Guest Service Team Leader", so acronyms are heavily employed.
** There's a reason people jokingly refer to it as "[[Its Pronounced Tropay|Targét]]"; the company seems to really think it's higher-class than it really is.
* Using the word "Soccer" could perhaps irk British '''football''' fans. Even though it's a British word.<ref>
** And never call a "draw" a "tie".
** Similarly, using the word "Football" to refer to the aforementioned sport can draw the ire of Americans who are fans of [[American Football]].
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* 9/11 Truthers claim for their [[Conspiracy Theories]] that the demolitions that bought down WTC 1,2, and 7 were caused by a substance known as "nano-thermite". Their opposition will derisively refer to it as "super-thermite", one of its other names. The Truthers will almost inevitably "correct" their opposition with "nano-thermite".
** One common Truther claim was that the Twin Towers and WTC 7 fell "into their own footprint", as proof positive of controlled demolition. Problem is, they didn't. The Truther will promptly [[Moving the Goalposts|move the goalposts]] to some variant of "almost in their own footprint". Not even close; the debris field of the Towers was over five times the size of their footprint, and the WTC 7 debris hit several buildings all around it.<ref>At this point, Truthers either ignore this information, or just repeat their earlier claim.</ref> Some Truthers have switched to saying the Towers fell "directly downward". This is really the same thing as the "own footprint". For fun times, ask the Truthers if the Towers fell directly downward into their own footprint (which is provably false), or if they fell directly downward ''outside'' their own footprints(a contradiction in terms).
* The words "obsession" and "passion" mean pretty much the same
* Likewise, the words "fantasize" and "imagine" mean pretty much the same thing. People are usually encouraged to have an "imagination", but are usually discouraged from "fantasizing".
* [[Formula One]] races; it's not "[proper adjective] Grand Prix", or "[name of country] Grand Prix", it's "Grand Prix of [name of country]".
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* ''[[British Newspapers|The Times]]'', British newspaper of record, may be printed on tabloid sized paper, but don't you ''[[Berserk Button|dare]]'' call it a tabloid. It's a "quality compact", thank you very much!
** The same is true of ''The Independent''. ''The Guardian'' would also like to remind you that it is in the slightly-larger Berliner format.
* If you're talking to or around a person from England, never refer to the most commonly known accent from that place as 'a British accent' unless you want to start a flame war. Its correct name is Received Pronunciation and it is most commonly used these days by Her Majesty the Queen and certain members of the House of Lords.
** In addition, do not refer to the country of the United Kingdom as "England" or British people as "English". The UK consists of four constituent countries: England, [[Bonnie Scotland|Scotland]], [[Land of My Fathers and Their Sheep|Wales]] and [[Stroke Country|Northern Ireland]]. Especially not the Scots. They often [[Berserk Button|don't like that]].
** [https://web.archive.org/web/20131125100027/http://themetapicture.com/distinction/ It's the United Kingdom] of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
* EMTs and paramedics do not appreciate being called "ambulance drivers," and the titles "EMT" and "paramedic" are not
* Telecommuters are often now using the term "teleworking" because of the stigma the former term has accumulated.
* Adult men who enjoy looking at pictures of nearly-naked fourteen year old girls frequently have a habit of responding to shrieks of disgust by explaining that they're not ''pedophiles'', they're ''ephebophiles'', as though explaining the semantic difference will mollify their critics.
* A rifle is a contraption containing a metal tube, which itself contains a spiral-shaped groove or grooves ("rifling") on the inside meant to increase the efficiency of straight-line projectiles fired through the tube. A gun is a contraption containing a metal tube through which straight-line projectiles are fired, or [[Gun in My Pocket|a masculine primary sexual characteristic]] (as referenced in a little poem that starts, "[[Weapon of Choice|This]] [[Full Metal Jacket|is my rifle,]] [[Crotch Grab Sex Check|this]] [[Full Metal Jacket|is my gun]]"). Calling a rifle a gun is likely to irk any pedants with formal firearms training. Calling a smooth-bore gun a rifle is [[Critical Research Failure|just wrong]].
* Pan Am chairman Juan Trippe never referred to his aircraft as planes; they were "ships". The pilot and copilot were the captain and first officer, and the speed was measured in knots. In fact, any time a nautical term appears in aviation, it can probably be traced back to Juan Trippe and Pan Am.
**There are multiple reasons for that. In the first place Trippe was a navy man and so were several of his family. In the second place his empire was first built focusing on "flying boats": hydroplanes and amphibs with a fuselage that can move in water if an emergency tow was needed. There was good reason for that as making airstrips was extra work whereas practically anywhere worth going to had water (even in the desert most cities have to be near a water body) to land on. Third is that Pan Am used the romance of 1800's clipper ships as its advertising gimmick, much as Wells Fargo banking uses stagecoaches today. Thus every passenger route was called a "clipper ship". Yet another reason was that Trippe used paranaval customs like uniforms and so on to keep discipline over the new and hyperindividualistic profession of airman.
* American football announcers—presumably fearful lest those of us watching/listening to the games get confused as to exactly which sport is being played—take great pains to insert the word ''football'' into as much of their commentary as possible. So instead of saying, "These players need to move the ball down the field if they're going to win this game", they'll go with something like, "These ''football'' players need to move the ''football'' down the ''football'' field if they're going to win this ''football'' game," and so forth.
** Baseball announcers, by contrast, will often call entire games without mentioning the name of the sport. Instead, it's "the ballgame", "the ballpark", "the ballplayers", etc.
** An inversion occurs in real life with the Superbowl. "Superbowl" is a trademarked word and can't be used in advertising without a nod from the NFL, hence the alternate term "The Big Game"
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* For years, PETA has attempted to get the term "pet" replaced because they claim it's insulting to the animals. Their latest suggested replacement is "[[Animal Companion]]", causing gamers and [[Deadpan Snarker|snarks]] the world over to declare "If it doesn't grant me a Buff, it's not an Animal Companion."
* A pessimist [[Silly Rabbit, Idealism Is for Kids|will always call himself a realist.]]
** A quote from Mark Twain that became [[Russian Humor|Russian proverb]] says that "a pessimist is a well-informed optimist", however.
* White supremacists often insist that they're not racists, they're ''racialists'', as if that makes their ideas any more respectable.
* ''[http://www.bangpdx.com/ BANG! The Entertainment Paper]'' is not a newspaper, since the people who make the stories and comics within strive to entertain, not to detail current events.
* TV Tropes has a few. For example, British television show ''[[Doctor Who]]'' 's main character (other than the companions, according to [[Word of God]]) is named "The Doctor" as is ''[[Star Trek:
* It is [[wikipedia:Bus rapid transit|bus rapid transit (BRT)]] ''stations'', not BRT ''stops''. BRT has been gaining prominence through notable examples such as the [[wikipedia:Ottawa Rapid Transit#Transitway|Transitway]] in Ottawa, Canada, the [[wikipedia:TransMilenio|TransMilenio]] system in Bogotá, Colombia, and other BRT systems in cities such as Mexico City and Curitiba, Brazil.
** Taken to a logical extreme, some BRT proponents have resorted to calling the buses as ''"BRT vehicles"''. Even more so, Ottawa's bus system, [http://www.octranspo.com/ OC Transpo], has considered the Transitway as the foundation of Canada's capital city's "Rapid Transit Network" (and as of the mid-2010s is using it as the backbone of the city's LRT system).
* Until 1999, France officially used the expression "Événements d'Algérie" ("Algeria Events") instead of "Guerre d'Algérie" ("[[wikipedia:Algerian War|Algerian War]]"). During more than forty years, this conflict (which killed more than 150,000 people) wasn't considered to be an official war.
* The USA does not use "Torture"; it uses "Aggressive Interrogation Methods".
** [[Bill O
* Murray Gell-Mann [https://blog.stephenwolfram.com/2019/05/remembering-murray-gell-mann-1929-2019-inventor-of-quarks/ did this a lot], including "g times ψ function" he invented not being called "beta function".
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[[Category:
[[Category:Comedy Tropes]]
[[Category:Naming Conventions]]
[[Category:The Turing Option]]
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