Posted by What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. – William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet
This one is a short and sweet pet peeve. What we call the Kiwi (or Kiwifruit) is not actually from New Zealand; it is indigenous to China. Today, China produces nearly five times as much of the fruit as New Zealand. Its original English name was, in fact, the Chinese gooseberry but some clever marketers in New Zealand and California decided to use the name Kiwi given the clear connection of that word with New Zealand (being the national symbol and all). This is, of course, nothing less than cultural appropriation which the politically correct crowd frowns upon. If you are offended by people wearing Indian head feathers and sports teams with names like Redskins, you cannot abide by this travesty that white New Zealanders (or Kiwis if you like) can wholesale appropriate both a fruit and the name from the Chinese. Please picket and boycott your supermarket and restaurant until they make the appropriate changes to their flyers, signs and menus to correct this injustice.
I am, of course, being sarcastic (although the information and conclusions are true). I personally don’t give two hoots if you call it a Kiwi or even a Platypus. Unfortunately, I learned quite some time ago that sarcasm and wit are completely lost on the internet and there is a plethora of politically correct idiots out there who would actually take this cry of outrage literally and seriously. Please don’t. But if you do anyway, can you come up with a better name than Chinese gooseberry when you do get the name changed?