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We all know kids are famous for their creativity and amazing imaginations. If we never stopped viewing the world through the lens of a child, it would be a very different place. But thankfully, anyone who is a parent, works with children, or gets to hang out with their loved ones’ little ones has a small window into their brilliant minds. Recently, one uncle, Dedrick Flynn, shared a TikTok explaining how impressed he was that his niece referred to aquariums as “water zoos”. This sparked a trend of other users revealing all of the genius names their children have come up with for everyday items and places, and some of them are hilariously accurate. 

We’ve gathered some of our favorite ‘alternative names’ down below, so that you can add them to your own vocabulary. Channel your inner child for this list and keep an open mind because you might be blown away by what these little ones have come up with, and be sure to upvote the phrases you want added to Webster’s Dictionary. Keep reading to also find an interview we were lucky enough to receive from Dedrick Flynn, and then if you’re interested in checking out a previous Bored Panda article on the same topic, we recommend reading this one next.

This uncle recently started a trend online where adults share the best 'alternative names' they have heard kids come up with for everyday things

Image credits: deddyfatstacks

#1

People Share 50 Hilariously Accurate Names Kids Gave Things After Guy Reveals What His Niece Calls Aquariums My daughter called a graveyard a “people garden” she was only 2

BriaBoo , Ruben Holthuijsen Report

We reached out to Dedrick on Instagram to hear if he was impressed with his niece when he heard “water zoo” for the first time. “Of course I was impressed with her! She’s a genius,” he told Bored Panda. “This is the same girl who calls mashed potatoes ‘fluffy potatoes’.” He noted that she also refers to jetskis as “boatorcycles” (that is my personal favorite) and the part of her leg behind her knee as a “leg pit”. 

When asked if he thinks kids are smarter than they often get credit for, Dedrick said, “I think kids are geniuses. I think [adults] just overcomplicate words. I’m not a big fan of big words. I mean, I use them here and there, but they never really get the point across. But if someone’s like ‘fluffy potatoes’ I know exactly what they’re talking about.”

In reference to his niece, Dedrick added, “She also one day called a turtle a ‘house lizard’ because they can go home, and that honestly changed my life too. I even made a video about that, like I made it seem like I made it up, but it was really her… Actually all of my comedy content comes from her, I’m just a poser,” he said jokingly. So there you have it folks, the mastermind behind Dedrik’s successful TikTok account is actually just his niece. But seriously, it’s great that Dedrick encourages his niece to exercise her creativity and that she feels comfortable creating her own names for things. Maybe her words will end up in the dictionary eventually!   

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#2

People Share 50 Hilariously Accurate Names Kids Gave Things After Guy Reveals What His Niece Calls Aquariums My coworkers granddaughter called seagulls “ beach chickens”

user8634055572388 , cbgrfx123 Report

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June
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Exotic pigeons. My bf and I last weekend at the beach 😂

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Children are so creative. When they don’t know the name of something, they have no problem coming up with their own based on what they do know. They do not have any mental barriers that adults form over time, so there is no hesitation in combining words that might sound silly to an adult but make perfect sense to them. Embarrassment is not a factor; conveying a message is what is important. But how are children so creative, and why do we all lose that imaginative spark eventually? 

According to Paul King, a computational neuroscientist, “As people become ‘good at life’, they develop habits of thought that serve them well. These habits are thought styles that ‘work’ (get results, impress people, carry us through difficult situations). As we accumulate ‘thought techniques’, three things happen: First, we become more effective and able to ‘effortlessly’ (mindlessly?) navigate tricky waters.” Doing certain tasks and solving problems becomes muscle memory and second nature. We actively use our brains less often. 

#3

People Share 50 Hilariously Accurate Names Kids Gave Things After Guy Reveals What His Niece Calls Aquariums When my daughter was a toddler she called tears “PANIC WATER”. I mean u ain’t wrong sis

Brandee Glass , Arwan Sutanto Report

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“Second, we adapt to social norms and accepted ways of thinking, making us more effective with people and society,” Paul explains. We become aware of what others are thinking and try not to step on anyone else’s toes or embarrass ourselves. We accept what we have been told, and we start thinking outside the box less and less. We know what an aquarium is called, so why think of calling it anything else? Why activate our brains when we don’t have to?

“Third, we become a prisoner of our own success,” Paul says. “Sticking with what works makes us both more successful and less creative. Why be random when you can be right? Unfortunately what works is what worked in the past and misses the enigmatic paths that lead to unexpected surprises.” Kids don’t yet know what is ‘right’ and what works, so they are constantly experimenting shamelessly. I wish I still had unfiltered access to that childlike bravery too.

#5

They have an amazing way of looking at the world. My granddaughter calls funerals heaven parties

user7283114992510 Report

#6

People Share 50 Hilariously Accurate Names Kids Gave Things After Guy Reveals What His Niece Calls Aquariums My cousin called a mechanic a “car doctor” and I’ve never been the same since.

Tim Byrd , Maxim Hopman Report

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El Dee
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Diagnosis, treatment. Possible transplants from donors. Checkups. Complicated diagnostic equipment, surgical instruments. Cosmetic 'surgery'. And so on..

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Paul King does note that people who work in creative fields or those who exercise their creativity muscles are capable of keeping their imaginations fresh. “They develop predictable habits that take them into unpredictable territory. This is a lifestyle choice to stay in the uncomfortable territory of the unknown.” 

“They may seek out people outside their profession, read random things, or force themselves to brainstorm whimsically,” Paul explains. “This systemization of creativity doesn’t have the bizarre arc of childhood imagination, but does combine life experience with creativity in a way that can be more impactful (and higher paying) in modern society.” So we’re not all doomed to calling items by boring names and having no creativity left in our minds, but an artist or filmmaker is more likely to have childlike wonder than someone who spends 8 hours a day crunching numbers on a computer.

#7

People Share 50 Hilariously Accurate Names Kids Gave Things After Guy Reveals What His Niece Calls Aquariums My daughter didn’t know the word for thirsty so she said she was “water hungry”

Cherrone , engin akyurt Report

#8

My cousin didn’t know how to tell me she had a dream so she said “the story behind my eyes when I’m asleep”

Alin Report

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#9

People Share 50 Hilariously Accurate Names Kids Gave Things After Guy Reveals What His Niece Calls Aquariums my daughter called a vending machine a “food ATM” once because she couldn’t think of what it was really called.

Puffin0915 , Kenny Eliason Report

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As much as I wish I could come up with genius alternative names for every item I use throughout the day, if we all had access to the minds of children and their unbridled imaginations, kids would not be as special. According to Family Education, creativity belongs to children. That’s not to say that it is not to be enjoyed by everyone, but kids are certainly the experts in the field. “When coming from a pure place, children create only for the sake of play and for the thrill of inventing, never for a projected result,” Family Education explains. Kids are not playing and creating characters to impress anyone or receive payment. Their brains just do it for fun. 

#10

People Share 50 Hilariously Accurate Names Kids Gave Things After Guy Reveals What His Niece Calls Aquariums My daughter called mosquitoes "vampire bugs"

Kristin King , Егор Камелев Report

#11

People Share 50 Hilariously Accurate Names Kids Gave Things After Guy Reveals What His Niece Calls Aquariums My cousin calls the airport the “plane station”

Love Jones , VOO QQQ Report

#12

My daughter called the Zoo "Animal Jail" when she was 5 and I've been fuqqed up about zoos ever since.

trapnerdsonny Report

Family Education explains the place where pure creativity stems from as “Point Zero”, where “the doing is all that matters”. “Born from Point Zero, the creative force offers a marvelous tool for children to fulfill their need to express themselves, to grow and to explore their world.” Eventually, however, the connection to Point Zero can be broken by social pressures, rules and guidelines, classes and criticisms and insecurities. This is how many of us lose our passion for creativity that was once alive in all of us as kids. As sad as it is that we eventually lose this, we can work to make sure that children we care about hold onto it as long as they can.

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#13

People Share 50 Hilariously Accurate Names Kids Gave Things After Guy Reveals What His Niece Calls Aquariums My youngest son would call any pants that weren’t shorts, “long sleeve pants”

Shae , Mohamad Khosravi Report

#14

People Share 50 Hilariously Accurate Names Kids Gave Things After Guy Reveals What His Niece Calls Aquariums I forgot to teach my kid what an owl was - he called them wood penguins ¯_(ツ)_/¯

Ms. Smith , Geronimo Giqueaux Report

#15

My little sister heard crickets outside and was trying to describe it to me… She said you know that noise when someone tells a joke and nobody laughs

AllenaBabyy Report

When kids start to lose access to Point Zero, creativity goes from flowing freely to having a goal of achievement or success. But keeping the connection to their imagination strong can even have practical benefits, Family Education explains. When kids are taught to trust their intuition, where creativity stems from, they can become more self-reliant, have higher self-esteem and self-confidence and have an easier time making decisions. Creativity is not just about having fun and saying silly things, although there is certainly value in those, it also helps kids develop into confident individuals who understand what they think and feel.

#16

People Share 50 Hilariously Accurate Names Kids Gave Things After Guy Reveals What His Niece Calls Aquariums Like the little kid that called the dragonfly a "baby helicopter"

user4610920515502 , Dustin Humes Report

#17

My son called an exclamation mark a loud period when he was in kindergarten

Niss Report

#18

My son asked for a sandwich on raw toast. Bread, he meant bread

caitlyn_rose0409 Report

As adults, it’s important that we don’t stifle a child’s creativity. If they call penguins “cold owls” or geese “honkeys”, we should never make them feel bad or embarrassed about that. In fact, I’m jealous of how open-minded those kids are. I wish that my brain would let me say things like that out loud without feeling like I would be judged. “It is a great gift to children to show them how to use and respect their spontaneous intuition and to have them discover the magical surprises of creativity: a creativity that comes from a pure intimate source, from Point Zero deep in themselves,” Family Education writes.

#20

People Share 50 Hilariously Accurate Names Kids Gave Things After Guy Reveals What His Niece Calls Aquariums My daughter would call Churches “Jesus Stores”

nadia4627 , Daniel Tseng Report

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Kat
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My girls called them castles and were very disappointed no princesses live there...

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#21

when I was pregnant, my daughter called my tummy the baby house

Niqui LeBeau Report

We tend to assume that children only learn from adults because they are younger and have much less life experience, but we often forget what it was like to be in their shoes. There are plenty of lessons kids can teach adults, from how to harness our creativity to how to hop over two jump ropes at once. In fact, according to an Adobe “Hiring for the Future” report, 78% of workers surveyed admitted that they wished they were more creative. I bet 20 or 30 years prior those same people had no problems in the realm of creative thinking, but now they need a young person to teach them a lesson or two.   

#22

People Share 50 Hilariously Accurate Names Kids Gave Things After Guy Reveals What His Niece Calls Aquariums My friends kids called hand sanitizer- Hanitizer.. and that made complete sense to me lol

KaayyJay , Devyn Holman Report

#23

My daughter calls the grocery store, the food maze

Jas Report

#24

ambulance = boo boo truck
leaves - tree feathers

Christine Sullivan Campbell Report

Adults can even benefit from an active imagination in the workplace. One 2018 study found that in group problem solving sessions, teams that had some form of “formal creativity training” were able to come up with 350% more ideas than teams without the same backgrounds. Their ideas were even 415% more original than the other teams. Being more creative can make you more fun and a better asset at work. It’s a win win!

#25

People Share 50 Hilariously Accurate Names Kids Gave Things After Guy Reveals What His Niece Calls Aquariums my daughter called humidity "chunky air" today...

Stacy Hennigan , cottonbro Report

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#27

My son said the Navy was made up of “water soldiers”. And my mind was blown

Liz Report

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Amber Hartsfield
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As a kid who had both Parents in the navy at one point and heard all the stories, I concur

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We hope you are enjoying opening your mind to all of these alternative solutions to names of everyday objects and occurrences. Keep upvoting the responses you find most brilliant, and then let us know in the comments if you have ever heard a kid come up with a hilariously accurate name for something. Whether you plan to incorporate these names in your own life or not, you must admit they are refreshing to hear. And if you’re interested in learning even more genius alternative names, don’t forget to read this article next. 

#28

People Share 50 Hilariously Accurate Names Kids Gave Things After Guy Reveals What His Niece Calls Aquariums My kids call their robes “Pajama Jackets” it’s my fave

Melissa Dee Report

#29

My son calls Beef Jerky, Meat Candy

Charae Ashley Morning Roast Report

#30

my son called lasagna, a pasta cake!

Ashley Schill Report

#32

my daughter use to call butterfly's beauty flies

Rance Preuitt Report

#33

My niece brushes her hair into a bunny-tail because her hair doesn’t look like a pony’s tail..

Ash Marie Report

#34

My daughter calls tongs “salad tweezers”

smashlie Report

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#37

Burps= mouth farts. Took me forever to figure out what my toddler meant when he said “I farted out my mouth”

Burps= mouth farts. Took me forever to figure out what my toddler meant when he said “I farted out my mouth” 3d ago 7 Reply Report

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Lily bloom
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What did one burp say to the other burp? Let's be stinkers and go out the back way!

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#38

My granddaughter called condensation water dust

Dawn Kilburn848 Report

#39

When our grandfather passed in May my little cousin said he was now in his ‘forever sleep’

Tasha Livingston Report

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Ola Pe
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That’s the exact phrase we use in my language- sen wieczny (Polish)

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#40

my friend's daughter use to say "one body instead of somebody" when she needed help. Can onebody get me some water please...

user9113667361270 Report

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Tara Dawn
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

For some reason, my oldest, as a toddler said “two-four quicks” for just a second…like wait just a second!

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#41

People Share 50 Hilariously Accurate Names Kids Gave Things After Guy Reveals What His Niece Calls Aquariums A kid I know called the previews at a movie, the appetizers

KristyLizz , Pixabay Report

#42

My son says chompsticks instead of chopsticks and stunk instead of skunk

Kati Lawson618 Report

#43

My seven-year-old niece calls French toast sticks “syrup fries”

Rita Marie Gordon Report

#44

My nephew called an octopus a Snake Turtle and I haven’t gotten over it in 10 years.

Lex Xavier Report

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Cassi Lyris
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's so cute. When my youngest was in first grade he wrote very enthusiastically about his favorite food: ramen. But, he spelled it "raw men" over and over and over. 🤣

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#45

Lol my daughter calls quesadillas a spanish grilled cheese

Na... Report

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Billy Harrelson
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My son referred to them as case-of-diyas when he was younger. He's almost 10 now and can say it correctly but we still refer to them as case-of-diyas.

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#46

Welp…my kid called a jet ski a motorcycle boat

Ran Man Report

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#47

my nephew calls fire trucks water trucks, it's way more accurate and I think he's going to be a genius

Sara Thompson Report

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Jon Steensen
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In my country some fire extinguisers are labeled according to what is inside them, as that can become important to know as not every type is suitable for all kinds of fire (e.g. you do not want to blow a lot of water into burning oil. It will boil and cause an explotion). So you have a "CO2-exitguisher" because it sprays out C02, a "powder extinguisher" that lets out powder and a "water extinguisher" because it will spray water, but there is also just something called a "fire extinguisher" which is used as a more general term, or when you do not know exatly what is inside that pressurised tank. And then the question becomes: what comes out of a "fire extinguisher"? Is it really a flame thrower?

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#48

Cashews = smile peanuts

Mary Kate Report

#49

People Share 50 Hilariously Accurate Names Kids Gave Things After Guy Reveals What His Niece Calls Aquariums My daughter called her ankle her “foot waist”

Amanda Hart , Judi Cox Report

#50

One time I told my son I don’t have money for something and he told me to get some from the “money box”. He was talking about the ATM.

moseslaw75 Report

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Sharkbait1313
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love that... everytime I tell my six year old that I can't afford something he says " why don't you just go to the bank?" Like I can just stop by and get as much free money as I want lol

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Note: this post originally had 90 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.