the.com/antifreeze

means A liquid additive (usually ethylene glycol or propylene glycol) mixed with water in a vehicle's cooling system to lower its freezing point and raise its boiling point, keeping the engine from freezing solid in winter or boiling over in summer.

from A straightforwardly literal 19th-into-20th-century coinage: 'anti' (against) plus 'freeze' — no myth to debunk, the word just does what it says. Early versions used alcohol or glycerin; ethylene glycol became the standard once automobiles made year-round engine cooling a universal problem. The 'sweet-tasting' danger isn't etymology but chemistry — glycol itself has a sugary flavor that has tragically drawn animals and children to it, which is why bittering agents are now often added by law.