I think that implies that either "exceptions" are misnamed in Python (as in every other language with that name, they're meant to be exactly that - exceptional

I think that implies that either "exceptions" are misnamed in Python (as in every other language with that name, they're meant to be exactly that - exceptional - so whatever Python calls "exceptions" isn't the same as in other languages), or that that particular idiom is wrong, and needs to be rethought.