Why do people refer the car door mirror as a wing mirror?

Question

They have not fitted mirrors on the front wings of cars since the 1960's so why do people call them wing mirrors when they are actually fitted on the doors?

Answer 1

Just because they used to be on the wing.  It's like I still ask for a Marathon and Opal Fruits in the shop.

Down with change!!!

Answer 2

force of habit perhaps?

Answer 3

I thought they were called side mirrors.

Answer 4

this is obviously a uk question cause they were on the wings so nerrr

Answer 5

wing mirrors are / were on the wings of the car. I thought people just called them all mirrors. I do

Answer 6

It is just from old school and the name stuck mostly overseas.

Answer 7

my moggie thou had mirrors on the wings - i guess the name just stuck

Answer 8

guess is just cos thats what they were traditionally called

Answer 9

Cause they make cars fly, how didn't you know that?

Answer 10

It was the name for them when they were mounted on the front wings & it stuck I guess.

Answer 11

Becoz as u said they used 2 b fitted on the wings & so were called wing mirrors 4 that reason originally & as people become used 2 calling things by a certain name it is easier not 2 change.Some mirrors still r on the wings.People prefer not 2 change.Its a generalisation.If they started calling them sumthing else some people would get confused.Does it really matter as long as everyone knows wot each other is talking about?

Answer 12

Good question Tango, but I cant really answer it as I'm too young to know about the original wing mirror.

All I know that's what Ive always known them referred to as these.

Answer 13

I don't, I call them side mirrors, and anyone that calls it a wing mirror needs to have their *** kicked.

Answer 14

because they are idiots.

Answer 15

Why do people call vacuum cleaners 'hoovers'? (Hoover is just a manufacturer.)

Why do people refer to the V5 as a 'log book'? (The V5 hasn't been an actual book for several decades.)

Why do people refer to scooters as 'mopeds'? (A moped is ANY two-wheeler of less than 50cc capacity - it's not a style of bike.  Scooters can be up to 650cc.)

Why do people refer to the outside lane of the motorway as the 'overtaking lane'? (There is no such thing as an overtaking lane in the U.K.  All lanes, except the inside lane, can be used for overtaking.)

Why do people refer to an unmarried couple as 'common law' man and wife? (Common law marriage was abolished in Britain over 300 years ago.)

Why do people refer to an 'H.G.V. Class 1' driving license? (The H.G.V. Class 1 was replaced by the L.G.V. C+E category almost 20 years ago.)

It's something called "force of habit"...

Answer 16

because underneath they have little green wings

Answer 17

The name just stuck.

Answer 18

Because years ago the external mirrors were mounted on the wing.

Answer 19

The same reason people refer to bleach as Clorox, powdered cleanser as Comet, and cooking oil spray as Pam. Because that is what they were originally called before things changed, and the name just stuck with some people and cultures.

Answer 20

Is a generic name in the same way that white vans are called Transit or Transit type vans and vacuum cleaners are called Hoover regardless of the manufacturer.

Answer 21

coz it looks like a wing sticking out.

Answer 22

Everyone that's answered is obviously not old enough to remember in the 1950-the late 60's, car doors had both a window and what was called a WING WINDOW.....it looked like the wing of a bird, hence the name wing mirrors......but, again, you in the UK call a windshield a windscreen, the hood of the car the bonnet, and the trunk the boot.....sooooooooo, it really depends on your age and what colloquialisms were popular during your youth.

Answer 23

Well how many guesses do you want?  

Secondly what people are you talking about because I never heard anyone call them anything other than Side View Mirrors.

Answer 24

because its on the sides! and sides are often refered to wings like in football!

maybe because wings are on sides of things like birds and planes!

:D

Answer 25

Because, as this message was posted in GB & Ireland that is what we call still them.  Originally fitted on the front wings, body styles changed and the mirrors were gradually moved back over the years to their present positions on the "A" post, where they are more easily seen ( by short sighted drivers  lol) and adjusted

Answer 26

I think because of the fact its easier to call them wing mirrors and the fact that its a left over of the sixties

Answer 27

You have just explained the answer :)

Answer 28

They enable the driver to protect the wing of his car by giving him Full view of the particular side.(The Wing)

Answer 29

Easy,  when you knock it off cummin the other way, it FLIES OFF.  So sum cleva d**k musta corled it a wing mirra cos it fly's

Answer 30

Because originally these side mirrors were fitted to the wings. Of course the modern car does not have a wing to fit the mirror to but as older members of the community we still think of them as wing mirrors. The wing mirror was better than the door mirror as you do not have to take your eyes from the road ahead to look into one of them, however the motor manufacturers like door mirrors as they are more expensive, get knocked off more and so are better for profitability.

Answer 31

if you think about it you could figure it out yourself but since you asked, i will give you some help.  the mirrors on the cars were called wing mirrors as they somewhat resembled a wing.  then as cars were redesigned, the mirrors moved up the body to the door edges.  but because they still stuck out, and were used for the same viewing area, they were still referred to as the wing mirrors or side mirrors.  

when you use your telephone you "dial" the number, but when was the last time you used a dial telephone?  for the last three decades they have pretty well been exclusively push button.

so if you want to know why something is called a certain word, look up the history of the item, and what the word means, and you will have the answer.