Talk:Misnomer/Archives/2023/April

Dark side of the moon

This is one of the biggest misnomer of all IMHO. We should add it as an example. It is actually very revealing of the way we name things. Interestingly, this is not so in French, where it is aptly named "the hidden face of the moon" ("la face cachée de la Lune") NicGambarde (talk) 15:34, 15 April 2023 (UTC)

It's not really a misnomer (which means a name that is incorrectly or unsuitably applied), but is a different meaning of the word "dark". In this case, "dark" means "unknown", because until modern space flight no one ever saw that side. It can be classified as a misconception that is frequently made (people may assume that "dark" means "without light"), but not a misnomer. See Dark side of the Moon and List of common misconceptions#Astronomy and spaceflight. This is not a list article and has a longstanding consensus that no new examples are added without consensus. Open an edit window in "Examples" and you'll see "BY CONSENSUS, THE NUMBER OF EXAMPLES IS LIMITED. DO NOT ADD NEW ITEMS WITHOUT CONSENSUS," which has been in the article for many years. The article has sufficient unequivocal examples, so a new example can't be added without consensus, especially one that is questionable. The usual procedure here (which is rarely done) is that if a different misnomer is added, consensus must determine that it is a better example than at least one already included in its type of misnomer, and that one is removed. Sundayclose (talk) 16:32, 15 April 2023 (UTC)

I understand your position and OK. But it is still a misnomer. It should never have been called that in the first place. And there is actually a "dark side of the moon", the side that is not lit by the sun, and it is not what people call "dark side of the moon". Furthermore, the vast majority of people actually believe implicitly that the far side is always dark. Even educated people. Even... me when in high school I was discussing in physics lessons putting telescope on the far side to be less disturbed by sunlight. I would go as far as saying that this is the perfect example of a misnomer, putting this example on this page would fulfil an education purpose. See the discussion page of far side of the moon to see why. NicGambarde (talk) 13:55, 18 April 2023 (UTC)

No, it's not a misnomer. It's a misconception. I'm not trying to argue, just to clarify the nature of the phrase "dark side of the moon". People have known for centuries that the far side of the moon is not perpetually without light, and when the term was first used it was never intended to refer to the amount of light on that side of the moon. Isaac Newton discussed tidal locking as far back as the 18th century. "Unknown" is a legitimate meaning for "dark". Look it up in any quality dictionary. If we said "Unknown side of the moon", it would be equivalent. The misconception is that "dark" only means "without light". Neither you, nor I, nor anyone can decide that a word that has a legitimate meaning "should never have been called that in the first place", and, in fact, when the term emerged it was never intended to mean "without light". There are many words in English (and I suppose every language) that have multiple meanings and nuances of meaning. "Run" is a good example. I can say "I will run home"; or "My nose is running"; or "I can't run up a tab at that restaurant"; or "The thread runs through the eye of the needle". Similarly, I can say "The darkest reaches of the continent", which doesn't mean "without light" or even "less light". That doesn't mean either meaning "should never have been called that in the first place". Both meanings are properly used. Sorry, but your personal opinions when you were in high school, or unsourced opinions on a talk page, do not override reliable sources. In any event, placing "dark side of the moon" in this article requires a clear consensus. Sundayclose (talk) 14:59, 18 April 2023 (UTC)