Get it? ‘Misconstructions’ as in misconstrue meanings and (in this case) objects constructed to be misrepresentations of phrases or words. It took me longer to decide on this title than it did to produce any single item or idea within the collection. The concept was in need of a correct and descriptive name. Misconstruction had a better feel than: “Self explanatory objects” my first working title. And “Objet equivoque” was rejected by my (less pretentious) mates as being just a touch wanky . I searched Thesaurus and Dictionary for a title. Some were good but didn't fit the bill:
• Amphibologies, homonyms, homographs, equivocations
Others I still don't know the meanings of:
• Calembour, Delphic oracle, paragram, galimatias
Visual puns using words and phrases were used, to great effect, on a particular quiz show that I used to watch on TV. In the show an Irish host with a long suffering facial expression asked contestants to identify computer generated images. The images were revealed section by section on the condition of contestants correctly answering questions. They were called “Catch-phrases” an example of a title that didn't quite sum up the animations in my opinion. However, pedantic as I have become over the titles of light entertainment quiz shows, I always enjoyed the content of this one. A friend and I literally cried with laughter once when the nonchalant host said “Just say what you see’ (A better title for the TV show or my exhibits perhaps) the answer that came confidently back was “Birthday Cheese!” Its been a catch phrase of mine ever since. There is also an episode where the animations so much resemble an act of self gratification that even the dead pan host looks about to die laughing. How could he keep such a straight face and urge people to say what they see. With the answer so likely to be, “A robot masturbating?”

The exhibits as a collection began to remind me of Victorian Innovations: Bizarre patented inventions that could have appeared in early illustrated advertisements with spurious claims of a better, easier or more exciting lifestyle. When I was young there was a sort of nostalgic respect (engendered by Look and Learn comics and their ilk) for Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, Sir Humphrey Davey people who might have had ‘inventor’ written on their passports.
Along with the people who did make life easier or better or more exciting there were the inventors of gadgets that contributed so much less. I recall a panel of experts on a TV show handing a mystery object back and forth. The object was described as being patently obvious, that was the program’s theme. The format for such shows was familiar to 1970’s British TV audiences.
You may have had a full bearded countryside zealot fondling a piece of wrought iron and deciding. “Yer That's definate a’ eighteen ‘undreds Gurnfuttler Tha’ is.. for Futtling the Gurns when ‘em’s got to height of abou’ a Sparra’s Foup.... Lovely aint it?” Another favourite would have a goateed gent delicately handling an antique vase with the words. “Exquisite, Absolutely exquisite.” Mumbled in a tone that suggested he hadn't the first clue about the thing and wanted nothing more than to sell his shambling stately home and shack up with four freeloving hippy chicks in North Wales. The object that was presented as being patently obvious was in fact a cleverly hinged bicycle saddle which if not locked by the rightful owner, would collapse leaving would be bicycle thieves impaled on a gruesome spike. None of my objects are quite that cruel.
I took out the element of surprise that might have been “say what you see” by adding the grandeur of little brass nameplates, Victorian inventor style, to each exhibit. So now its a matter of “read what it is” and laugh, groan or stroke that beard and go.
“Gurnfuttler...aha...Exqusite piece of early twenty first century objet equivoque”
Alternatively why not take a huge sniff at my birthday cheese selection?