Why are police sirens called sirens when the sound they make is so unpleasant? In Greek mythology, sirens lured sailors to their deaths and devoured their flesh in their seagrits with their beautiful singing and teeth, and how. Therefore it is confusing that police sirens were given the exact opposite name of what would be reasonable to expect. Unless that is the point. The allusion is awkward to say the least. Someone in pursuit of irony decided to call them sirens because they give off an acoustically opposite sound. Then again, maybe 'siren'polled better than 'banshee'. I must admit the term 'police banshee' doesn't have the same ring to it that 'siren' does.
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