Full Idea
If I think the king is a usurper, "Is the king in his counting house?" succeeds in referring to the right man, even though I do not believe that he fits the description.
Gist of Idea
A description can successfully refer, even if its application to the subject is not believed
Source
Keith Donnellan (Reference and Definite Descriptions [1966], §IV)
Book Reference
'Naming, Necessity, and Natural Kinds', ed/tr. Schwartz,Stephen P. [Cornell 1979], p.52
A Reaction
This seems undeniable. If I point at someone, I can refer successfully with almost any description. "Oy! Adolf! Get me a drink!" Reference is an essential aspect of language, and it is not entirely linguistic.