andre breton, who initiated the movement, overtly defined surrealism in 'First Manifesto of Surrealism' as follows:

surrealism, noun. pure psychic automatism by which it is intended to express, either verbally in writing, or otherwise, the true function of thought. thought dictated in the absence of all control exerted by reason, and outside all aesthetic or moral preoccupations.

granted, the movement changed over time. however, i think that the loose, modern definition of 'surrealism' is an insult to breton's original. a photo of a bath tub in times square is not surrealism. a painting of a generic landscape with nonconventional use of colour is not surrealism. a page of hastily scratched stick-figures is not surrealism.

that a work is strange or out of the ordinary does not make it surreal- it is the cognitive processes behind it.

i suggest that anyone who regularly inappropriately labels works as "surreal" give this serious consideration.