We all know kids have a way of saying things that can be unpredictable. Every one of us has seen a parent frantically try to shush their child in a public place. And many of us have been those parents. But sometimes, kids say something so insightful, so correct that you never forget it.
In these moments, kids remind us there are different and new ways of looking at the world. They also remind us that we might be better off if we tried to look at things like a child. Iโm not saying you should ask your kids for help with your taxes (or quit your day job). Iโm just saying there is a lot you can learn when you look at the world through the eyes of a child.
Thatโs why weโve collected 75 instances where kids came up with genius names for common items. Some of them are funny and some will make you go โHuh?โ While a lot of them might be weird, there are a few that should be added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary. We hope you enjoy these unfiltered insights from some brilliant kids. Donโt worry, no shushingโs required.
1. Party dogs
Iโm not sure why wolves are specifically considered โparty dogsโ to this kid, but Iโm willing to buy it. Who knows what those wolves are up to out in the forest?
Calling gloves โhand socksโ makes perfect sense when you think about it. Itโs not too far from the German word for gloves, โhand shoes.โ This kid is innovative.
Donโt get the word librarier mixed up with librarian. A librarian is someone who keeps the library organized. A librarier is someone who reads books professionally.
Pasta pockets are a perfect description for ravioli, and I propose we all adopt this term immediately. Everyone would immediately understand what we were talking about.
Kids are famously amused by bodily functions, so itโs not surprising they come up with silly words for farts. Pants-singing is a pretty creative one, though.
Hereโs yet another term that a child came up with to describe passing gas. On the bright side, at least she said, โPardon me.โ Her parents are raising her well.
As we said, kids are endlessly amused by farts and burps. This kid knows a little bit about digestion and understands that farts are kind of โfood ghosts.โ
Face grass is a surprisingly good descriptor for facial hair. I might just start referring to it by that term. โThat hipster has some amazing face grass.โ
Every kid gets to the point where theyโre fascinated by death โ even if itโs just a phase. They all start asking questions about people dying. Sometimes, they even add words.
Itโs common for kids to start talking about certain phrases. But their parents canโt always figure out what theyโre trying to say. As it turns out, โflamingo witchesโ was a fancy way of saying โvultures.โ
This term for a cemetery isnโt quite as macabre. The kid thought they were parks that people filled with flowers. His parents let him continue believing that.
Technically, the term โboo-boo truckโ is excellent for an ambulance. The term is relatively close to the word in some other languages, including German.
This might be a sign your child is spending a little too much time in front of the screen. He didnโt know he was looking at the sky through a window.
To this child, every small animal was called a โkittypup.โ Frankly, that sounds like the cutest creature ever. We wonโt address the word โvirger.โ
Sure, this kid doesnโt understand what chickens are, but thatโs okay. If you think about it, a โcobโ is kind of a bone. Itโs just a plant bone.
Most of the time when kids make up words, theyโre hilarious. But now and then, the things they come up with are unexpectedly beautiful. This is one of those.
A rhinoceros sort of looks like a unicorn thatโs put on some military gear and is ready for battle. Please let children name all the new animals from now on.
Calling wallets โmoney pocketsโ is pretty spot-on when it comes to descriptions. Unfortunately, part of adult life is learning how often theyโre โno-money pockets.โ
If you donโt know what a pangolin is, look it up right now. Youโll immediately see how accurate it is to describe them as โotter knights.โ This kid knows what theyโre talking about.
This kidโs description of a crow was so amazing that the official Merriam-Webster Twitter account was notified. I hope they took proper action right away.
Do you remember those terrible Kraft singles we all loved so much as kids? โKraft singlesโ isnโt a very intuitive term. โCheese padsโ sounds much better.
Weโve all heard the trope of the cowboy who plays his harmonica around the campfire at night. It makes perfect sense to refer to it as a cowboy trumpet.
If you think about it, you do use a fly swatter to spank bugs. Youโre just spanking their entire body very hard and fast until you squish them. The logic checks out.
Chicken has chicken bones, fish has fish bones, and pizza, obviously, has pizza bones. We wonโt go into a conversation about where chicken and fish come from.
Squirrels are technically rodents, so itโs perfectly acceptable to refer to them as yard rats. Thankfully, most rats donโt have giant bushy tails โ that would make them terrifying.
Iโm not sure how this 3-year-old decided that a hummingbird should be called a butterfly dragon. All I know is I kind of love it. Itโs an elegant descriptor.
Iโm trying my hardest to delve into the thought process here. Are they friendship bagels because you split them in half and share them with a friend? Or are the two muffin halves friends?
This is a particularly adorable way of saying โelevator,โ but itโs not that far off from the British English term. Whatโs the real difference between โuppy roomโ and โliftโ?
When a drink is highly carbonated, that burn of the bubbles is similar to the feeling of something spicy on your tongue. If Iโd never tasted carbonation before, I might think of it as spicy, too.
Technically, we already have a real word for โnexterday.โ However, the word โtomorrowโ isnโt nearly as interesting. Thereโs something adorable about saying: yesterday, today, nexterday.
You know this kid grew up in the city when he points to a rat and calls it a kitten. Hopefully, heโs not picking up any โtrain kittensโ and trying to cuddle them.
Weโve heard all kinds of terms for cemeteries from the sweet and innocent to the macabre. This one, โgardens of dead people,โ sounds like something straight out of a horror movie.
It makes sense when you think about it: this little boy was mixing up his adjectives and verbs. He was going fast when he ran, therefore, he was โfasting.โ Get it?
The veterinarian clinic was the โpuppy-hurt storeโ to this sweet kid because that was the place where puppies went when they got hurt. Something tells me any veterinarian would love their clinic to be known that way.
In the simplest terms, this is exactly what nettles are: plants that sting if you touch them. If youโve ever fallen into a nettle bush, youโll never forget it.
Young kids learning to talk might very well still remember breastfeeding. Or maybe they see younger siblings nursing. To them, thatโs what breasts do โ they feed babies.
The word bra comes from the French word โbrassiere,โ meaning bodice or vest. But if you think about it, all bras are is, well, underwear for breasts.
Do you recall seeing smokestacks when you were a kid and being amazed by the plumes of โcloudsโ that emerged from them? Some kids think thatโs where clouds are made.
Some kids make up terms so logical, theyโre found in other languages. โHand anklesโ might not make sense in English, but the term is easy to understand all the same.
This little girl didnโt invent the word backhoe, but she came up with an interesting meaning for it. In her mind, it was a type of dinosaur. Wouldnโt that be a backhoeasaurus?
English might be a highly descriptive language, but we donโt have clear descriptors of our different toes. Sure, we call it a โbig toe,โ but thatโs so boring. โThumb toeโ has a much better ring to it.
It might take you a moment to get it, but if you think hard, it does make sense. Kids become more knowledgeable by relating to other things. Faces have chins. Therefore feet do, too.
Iโm guessing this one started as something that was misheard. Then it became an adorable habit. Trust me, if your kid says โbaby bugs,โ donโt ever correct them.
In the category of โinadvertently creepy childrenโs inventionsโ is the term โDracula bin.โ Using that term at a funeral is the best way to make all the adults immediately uncomfortable.
If the eagle is the king of the birds, I suppose it makes sense to describe all other birds in relative terms. Using that line of logic, flamingoes would be pink eagles, hummingbirds would be tiny eagles, and penguins would be ice eagles.
Look, correct him if you want, but this kid is totally on the ball. A ladle should be called a souper scooper and thatโs what Iโm going to call it from now on.
If you didnโt know you can cook eggs in the microwave, youโve just learned an amazing life hack. Of course, if you want, you can refer to them as โbings.โ
Did you immediately guess what a stinker cat was? Yup, itโs a skunk, which makes total sense. They look so cute and cuddly, just like a litter of adorable kittens.
Owls and penguins are only distantly related, but hey, whatever works for you. Sheโs on the money with the cold part โ penguins are very cold at all times.
For one kid, it made sense to call a crowded parking lot โa parked car party.โ Having been in one, I can confirm thatโs nothing like a party and not fun at all.
Iโm not sure why every kid who sees a hummingbird automatically assumes itโs a tiny dragon. But even though I donโt understand, I approve. I can even see their line of thinking.
Sure, Saran wrap is made of plastic, but I understand this kidโs line of logic. The good thingโฆitโs not sharp โ Iโd hate to see what a paper glass cut looks like.
If this phrase made you shudder, donโt be alarmed. They were just getting creative with a new name for soy sauce. In their defense, it is kind of like sushi juice.
Whatโs harder to explain: the phrase โhot dog whippersโ or the fact that your kid knows what nunchucks are? In this case, Iโm pretty sure the explanation goes hand-in-hand.
For some reason, the flamingoesโ resemblance to chickens is what stood out to this little girl. From my perspective, I wouldโve called them โpink chickens,โ but to each their own.
This story is hysterical. Not only because the little boy decided the store had ghost doors, but also because he was terrified of them. Is it mean to laugh?
This kidโs logic is amazingly sound. Armadillos are just squirrels wearing heavy armor to protect themselves during a battle. Thereโs a squirrel somewhere under those layers.
I donโt see the problem here. Pizza crusts are absolutely pizza handles. Where else will you hold your pizza, unless you want to get your fingers all greasy?
Yes, this one is self-explanatory and adorable. Technically, we donโt need a separate word for passing gas from the bottom. In that sense, theyโre butt burps.
If you think about this one for a minute, youโll get it and laugh. Weโve all experienced โfizzy feetโ before โ you know, the feeling of your feet falling asleep.
We all know kids have a way of saying things that can be unpredictable. Every one of us has seen a parent frantically try to shush their child in a public place. And many of us have been those parents. But sometimes, kids say something so insightful, so correct that you never forget it.
In these moments, kids remind us there are different and new ways of looking at the world. They also remind us that we might be better off if we tried to look at things like a child. Iโm not saying you should ask your kids for help with your taxes (or quit your day job). Iโm just saying there is a lot you can learn when you look at the world through the eyes of a child.
Thatโs why weโve collected 75 instances where kids came up with genius names for common items. Some of them are funny and some will make you go โHuh?โ While a lot of them might be weird, there are a few that should be added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary. We hope you enjoy these unfiltered insights from some brilliant kids. Donโt worry, no shushingโs required.