When I learned that the two alternative circular motions are called clockwise and counter-clockwise, I was told that clockwise is called that because it is the direction in which a clock moves. This misled me about why counter-clockwise is called that. The prefix counter is used to mean opposite or reverse, so this name means that counter-clockwise is the reverse of clockwise. But I thought that there was something called a counter clock, which is like a clock but goes on a counter and moves the opposite direction.
Also, I'm not sure if this ins't a misinterpretation, but I think that we call it counter-clockwise here in America, while people from the UK call it anti-clockwise, which sounds like a better name to me.
A childhood belief about general
others believed things like this
- I used to think that if someone gave you acid, you could completely counter the effects by taking an antacid.— abracadaver
- I used to believe that people from Holland were called "Hollish", like people from Poland are called "Polish"— Sally
- Once I told everyone that I saw a clock reach 1:60.— flojo
- I believed that the breed of dog called Boxer was called that because they could stand up and box.Anon
- i used to believe that my brain worked like the inside of a clock. How the wheels cranked and turned.— Becky
- I used to think that adult kangaroos were called Kangas and that child kangaroos were called Roos. Anon