[faceplanted]

The guy wasn't wrong, "A is often referred to as B", doesn't contradict "B isn't synonymous with A"

[jacobolus]

“Gears are often referred to as ‘pocket watches’” is not a correct statement, even though gears are sometimes used in the implementation of pocket watches.

Cf. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metaballs

[faceplanted]

But they _are_ sometimes referred to as metaballs, _at the same time_ as being used to implement them.