Strange phrase

I switched the radio on when I got up this morning, and the news was on. They used one of those phrases that I find confusing. They were talking about a celebrity funeral, and related how many "well-wishers" had turned out for the funeral. Might just be me, but "well-wishers" seems a strange choice of words. After all, when someone is dead, what use is a "well-wisher"? It ain't going to make the person miraculously return to life,is it?
It just made me wonder. There are quite a few times when phrases used by rote seem at odds with the situation.
Another example to me is the phrase "new baby". The word baby means amongst other things, "a very young animal" this in itself implies newness. And I for one have never seen an old baby, complete with wrinkled face, false teeth, etc. Perhaps it's just me