If the "Fuel Shutoff Valve" is ON, wouldn't fuel be cut off? Ok, so this may be more of an english lanugage question, and I can confirm from context that when the fuel shutoff valve is ON fuel does indeed flow to the engine, but wouldn't that just make more sense to call that valve the fuel valve?

If the component that shuts fuel off is on, operational, in use, functioning, etc., shouln't fuel be shut off, as the name implies?

I realize this could be seen as a quibble, but confusion causes accidents and IMO this is wildly confusing.

EDIT

Looking at the Cessna 152 checklist today I noticed this interesting quirk. On the regular checklist side (pre-takeoff, maneuver, etc.) the checklist reads "Fuel Shuttof Valve - ON", but on the emergency checklist for an engine fire it merely states "Fuel Valve - OFF".
I can see where that can be confusing, but it comes down to perspective.

From a maintenance and engineering perspective, you are actuating the fuel shutoff valve which controls the fuel to the engine.  The actual terminology when referring specifically to the valve would be opened or closed, which would result in the fuel being on or off.

From a pilot perspective you are simply turning the fuel selector on and off, which happens to be connected to the fuel shutoff valve.  The pilot doesn't even need to know about the valve, so they placard it from the operational perspective in the cockpit and say whether the fuel is on or off.



Note that these are placarded as a fuel selector and fuel off both of which seem pretty clear to me.