Call Q and W what you will, but isn't it clear that neither
is "energy"?
Yes, neither Q nor W, in the dU=Q+W, is energies. But Q in
calorimetry, according to textbooks, is a change in thermal
energy (either added or removed from a body). That is why
we need a separate word for Q in thermodynamics. Just like
some people already distinguish between work and
pseudowork.
Personally, I prefer call F*ds work and reserve the word
pseudowork for the concept to be introduced later. [Those
who call F*ds pseudowork are confusing students. This
kind of confusion is totally unnecessary.]
Ludwik Kowalski