If numerology is the last refuge of the scoundrel, the last-but-one is that thing that I don't have a name for, where people do essentially the same thing with bogus etymology. It was brilliantly sent up by, who else, Jon Stewart, satirising, who else, Glenn Beck, by doing a whole presentation on "LIBERTARIANS": roaring "They lie! 'Lie' is right there in the name! [underlines it] But *who* is lying to us? Bert! [picture of Bert from Sesame Street] And who else is lying to us? Arians!" [flails arms, becomes too overcome to speak].

(In retrospect, finding the clip on Youtube would probably have been easier than typing that out...)

Peter