Original idea from dwhittle in mailing list, here is a list of reserved words with typical error. Feel free to add your own.

Class/Table Name

• Criteria :

  Fatal error: Call to undefined method Criteria::setOffset() in symfony\addon\propel\sfPropelPager.class.php on line 48
  

• Order, Group, From… and any SQL reserved word :

  [wrapped: Could not execute query [Native Error: You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version 
  for the right syntax to use near 'order' at line 1] [User Info: SELECT COUNT(order.ID) FROM order]]
  

• Security, Context, Request, Response… and all the protected attributes of sfActions : No direct error, but in auto-generated admin modules, the fact that the actions define $this->"singularName" will overwrite the original value, and breaks down everything.

• the word "database" (at least in Symfony 1.0.16) gives this error doing a data dump:

  [wrapped: Could not execute query [Native Error: You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version 
  for the right syntax to use near 'order' at line 1] [User Info: SELECT * FROM database]]
  

Module Name

• sf

• default : Not tested, but could confuse the config manager for module-dependent config files (cache.yml, security.yml)

• global : If you try to access this module partials/component symfony will ignore them and use /app/YOUR_APP/templates/ ones

• action : see #1592

Action Name

• default : Not tested, but could confuse the config manager for action-dependent config files (security.yml)

Application Name

Project Name

Environment Name

• all : Not tested, but could confuse config manager for all the env-dependants config files.