What Zero wonders, part II (by request):
Ok, so earlier I was thinking about how much of a cop out it was to name the anteater after what it eats.
I mean, it’s like picture this scenario 30 years ago when they discovered anteaters:
“Hey Bob, what’s THAT thing?”
‘I dunno Bill, but look at what it’s eating… ants!’
“Then, by George, we shall call it an anteater!”
So then, that made me wonder what the world would be like if we had more things named after what they primarily eat…
Of course, monkeys would be called Bananaeaters. Mice would be called Cheese-eaters. Cows would be called Grass-eaters… and a lot of things eat grass, so that might actually get confusing.
But then, I bet a lot of things eat ants, too! So why then are anteaters are so special?
From there I wondered what would’ve happened if the “animal scientist people”, or whatever you call them, actually discovered the anteater BEFORE they discovered the ant.
I pictured it going something like this:
“Hey Bob, what’s THAT thing?”
‘I dunno Bill, but it has a long nose and it’s eating something.’
“Then, by George, we shall call it Long-nose!”
‘Now what about what it’s eating?’
“How about, ‘Eaten-by-the-long-nose’?”
‘That works!’
And then they high-five each other, because they’re so happy.
See, this is why I don’t post more of the things I wonder about. ;)