This is a great point, actually. And I have seen examples of it in code bases using Hungarian notation.
In practice, though, I think this kind of "lie" both happens and persists less frequently than comments that "lie" either by inaccuracy or obsolescence. People naturally have a lazier attitude toward the upkeep of comments ("they don't really affect the code") and somehow an inaccurate variable name seems more brazen than an incorrect comment.
In practice, though, I think this kind of "lie" both happens and persists less frequently than comments that "lie" either by inaccuracy or obsolescence. People naturally have a lazier attitude toward the upkeep of comments ("they don't really affect the code") and somehow an inaccurate variable name seems more brazen than an incorrect comment.