People acquire different knowledge depending on their age. You start to realize that the sun still exists even when the night comes and you can’t see it, and that the moon is also always there, so it’s not surprising to sometimes see it during the day.
You learn these kinds of facts by experiencing them, reading about them or talking about them with someone else. But sometimes they just don’t come up and you end up not knowing what is obvious for everybody else. It is never too late to learn, but you can’t help but feel embarrassed when you’re the last one to find out something.
Reddit user PralineStriking wanted people to remember that embarrassment and asked what things they learnt at an age that seemed too late for them and the thread got over 18k answers. We collected some of the best ones and we would like to know if you found anything that you experienced as well. If not, share your own facts you learnt at a late age that you should have known about earlier in life in the comments!
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That narwhals are real. I thought they were cute mythological creatures, until I saw a brooch a friend had and asked if it was part of the companies mythological line. She asked me if I thought narwhals were myths, like unicorns. I laughed and said of course they are.
I was 35.
That I needed glasses. At age 21 my friends were hassling me about being dyslexic because I kept getting words mixed up (second year at Uni). Until then, I had just been reading by looking at the shape of words and guessing the words based on the context and wider story. I had been reading this way for years and survived Uni before finding out my prescription was +1.50. The optometrist said it was amazing I hadn’t noticed. When I put the glasses on, everything was in 4K Ultra. I can now see individual letters.
"When I put the glasses on, everything was in 4K Ultra" We all who wear glasses felt that
That the more work you get done at work, the more they will pile it on. I could have saved a lot of my mental health in my 20’s
“Paradigm” is pronounced “pear-uh-dime”. It is definitely NOT pronounced “pear-uh-dig-um”.
…I learned this at age 19. In college. While delivering an oral report.
I try not to think about.
That Abuela and Abuelo were not my Cuban grandparents actual names
My mum's name is not 'Mum' That broke my heart when I was 2 yo 💔
I thought everyone’s mouth got itchy when eating bananas. Almost 40 years old and find out I’m somewhat allergic to them.
It's called oral allergy syndrome. It really sucks, at least it's only bananas for you. My list of fruit and veg that affects me gets longer every year.
The Lion King is basically Hamlet. That was Monday. I'm 41.
The the longest time I always heard of sports teams “Drafting” people. And I am tall, so as a kid I was constantly afraid I’d get drafted for the state basketball team just out of the blue, I thought it worked like a military draft.
I learned this wasn’t the case when I was like 10-12.
That if you wear a white bra, you can see it through a l white shirt, but if you wear a nude colored bra, you can’t. I was 40 when a coworker shared this with me.
The same thing holds for wearing white panties under white slacks. You need to wear nude coloured ones under those.
That sodas were called soft drinks because they had no alcohol lol
That you can flush used toilet paper. Parents taught us as kids to throw away the paper in the trash can for fear of backing up the toilet. Wasn’t until college that I realized my parents were accustomed to that method because they had s***ty plumbing where they grew up in Central America
Wasn't until I was 21 when I drank Lactose Free milk and DIDN'T go sit on a toilet for an hour that I realized I am lactose intolerant. I thought it was normal to s**t constantly after drinking milk.
It’s “for all intents and purposes” not “for all intensive purposes”
That our next door neighbors were lesbians and not just “good friends”. Lovely people. Didn’t figure it out until I was in college
Womens pads stick to their underwear and not themselves like a band-aid.
I learned how to ride a bike at the ripe age of 24
It's okay...we all learn something new everyday, it's not mandatory for you to learn this when you're a kid.
Baby carrots are just shaved down big carrots. I was devastated a few years ago.
At roughly 37, I learned pineapples grew from the ground. Not from a tree.
Corned beef wasn’t made by cattle that were strictly fed corn. My mom couldn’t stop laughing.
That sea horses are not roughly the size of penguins. In fact, they are incredibly tiny. Stupid Saturday morning cartoons!
Omg, you should see the pygmy seahorse, it is super duper teeny tiny, it's just so damn cute.
That puffer fish don't use air to inflate.
I was today years old.... Actually, it's obvious (cause where would they get the air), but who stops to think about it? At least I didn't.
That puffins are in fact NOT extinct. I had a 3rd grade teacher misinform me. I found the truth as a teenager in an embarrassing group setting where I was quite confidently wrong.
For a moment I was like "Where are the legs of that bird in the picture!?" Then I put my glasses on :)
Washington state and Washington DC are two different places.
I think that's a fair enough misunderstanding to have, especially if you're not from the US.
ONLY if you're not from the US. If you are, and you're over the age of 10, there is absolutely no excuse not to know it. You learn it in elementary school!
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This on always maks m angry--I'v livd in Wahington stat my whol lif, and popl always think I'm from DC. (also sorry ky betwn w and r isn't working)
Sorry about your keyboard letter 'e' not working...just wondering though; how did you manage to write " betwn ???
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Having grown up in WA state, I got used to saying "no, the other Washington. Opposite coast" when travelling.
I've always referred to them as Washington AC and DC... Above California or District of Colombia...
I have multiple problems for where I live, Washington state and Washington DC get mixed up, but when I tell someone I’m from Vancouver they assume BC, which I guess is reasonable. But I always have to clarify.
Yeah, deal with this too. Vancouver, WA. Why do we gotta keep stealing names that are already taken by more famous places?
Load More Replies... Sadly, many people in the US do not know this. Sadly, many people in the US have no idea what that Pacific and Atlantic oceans are called let alone that the west coast is Pacific and the east coast is Atlantic. And, kid you not, I met many that think north is straight up in the sky.
The education in the USA has been lacking for decades, I remember watching Rick Mercer "Talking to Americans" back in the late 90s. It was painful then, it's still that bad. The video is still on youtube
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You know there are other countries besides the USA, right? You telling me you know the geography of every country you dont live in too?
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Don't feel bad. When I was a kid, I thought there was a US state named after Marilyn Monroe, because that's how Americans pronounce Maryland. They don't say Mary-land, they say Marilyn. I lived there for 20 years and say it like that too now!
That would have been cool! I thought it was named after the wizard Merlin
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Here's a connected and even more stupid discovery. Until about a year ago, I thought the Capitol Building and the White House were the same building. I couldn't figure out why I couldn't see the dome from the side of the building the White House entrance is. I am 61.
It took me a while after moving to DC to figure out that when filling in the address online (eg, to create a mailing label), Washington is the city and DC is the state.
When I traveled I always specified that I was from Washington State, no DC so it was clear.
pfft I knew that for a long time and I'm Canadian. I do live next to Washinton state though.
I found out at 12 it was embarrassing bc I was in school and I said what really loud
I know that they're two different places, but I honestly have no idea where Washington DC is. I should probably know since I live in the US lol
Especially understandable considering that there are quite a few people who refer to both as just "Washington." I always purposefully use "DC" and "Washington" separately so there would be no confusion, which my mother hated.
Being stationed on the east coast has taught me to specify which one I mean; people assume depending which coast you're on what you mean when you say 'Washington'
I live in washington state so this wasn't much of a problem for me lol
Learned this when I was forced to do my geography map while traveling cross country in the summers. I appreciate it now lol
When I was young, I was always confused about England and New England. Didn't grasp until later that they were not both in the UK. 😑
Washingtonian here. The really aggravating thing is they were first going to name it Columbia, after the main river in the state, but didn't want it to get it mixed up with the District of Columbia. *facepalm*
I live in Washington State. I refer to them as Washington (the state) and DC (the Capital).
My problem is that eastern seaboard newspapers use "Washington" and mean Washington DC. Living near Washington State, the state is the first thing that comes to my head.
That’s why I always say “I live near Seattle”because people are dumb
I was in my 50s when I learned that the Washington “football team” was not a second Washington state team with the Seahawks!!
I live in Washington state, and that how I tell ppl, it saves the whole DC fiasco.
As someone who lived in Washington state this always annoys the hell out of me.
When I was younger I thought Washington DC was Washington Da Capitol so there's that
in the airport, 12 yrs old, some way older girls asked where we were from, we said "nh" like 3 times til we finally gave up and just said "Boston". ugh. AND for a while in 1st grade? I was so anxious bc I couldn't BELIEVE we lived so close to Lebanon (45 mi, Hanover 35 mi)!! HOW could my parents DO that? and how is it so desert...... oh wait a minute
This is so annoying living in Washington my whole life you can guess which one lol
as someone who lives on the west coast (not in washington), i often forget d.c. even exists. sorry to those who live there, lmao.
Teachers never really told us where it was while I was growing up (I'm 14 almost 15). I thought it was in Washington then I thought NYC, then somewhere near that city. I only figured it out by watching CM; because when they said there was something happening in DC they said it was just near so I was always like "how are you close? That's not close?". Come to find out it's basically close to the border of the states near. 😑 Thanks school for just assuming I know where DC is
I'm sure I only knew that one because I'm from Washington state and we learned it pretty early on
I'm from Vancouver BC, and a few years ago I was shocked to learn that Washington DC isn't part of a state. I also always refer to Washington state as just Washington, and Washington DC is always Washington DC.
I live in Washington and asked my parents that when I was 10-12 🤣🤣 I was so confused 🤔🤔
Grew up in Washington State and when telling people where I was from had to make sure I clarified or people would assume DC.
About 3000 miles apart on opposite sides of the country - definitely not the same thing. Less politicians in the one without the DC too. :) I am a native Washingtonian, being born in DC, but I guess you're also one if you're from the state. I get why it's confusing!
Getting calls from recruiters where my brother has his resume is pretty funny - Numerous recruiters want to set him up for a job in Baltimore. When my brother says that that is WAY out of his range, they tell him it is only 10 minutes to Baltimore from Washington. He then has to give them a geography lesson, and let them know it is more like 3000 miles and an 8 hour flight, one way, to Baltimore from here.
Visiting my sister in New York City in the 80's, I lost track of how many times I had to say "Washington state" or "no, I don't know your cousin/brother's best friend/co-workers parents/Bill Gates in LA/Portland/Seattle". I also had to explain there was a whole other state between Washington and California that was over 300 miles long.
Yes, Washington state exists in the USA. WASHINGTON DC, is where super heroes live ( ;) ) that don't belong to Marvel.
I did not know the Washington Redskins played for the city and not the state until i was 40.
I didn't learn this until I watched the show, Frasier. It's super embarrassing considering I was born in the US
Not from the US, so took me a while to get it. It's very ironic because they're on different sides of the country.
Just always remember, DC stands for dumb c***s and you will never forget.
That cows are female and bulls are male. I thought they are two different species
Technically, a cow is a female that has given birth. Before birth they're called heifers.
At 42 years-old, I realized there is no donkey in Donkey Kong.
That Flo Rida spells Florida. Also will I am was William. Realized this last year. I’ll be 42 in a month lol
That C.R.E.A.M by wu tang stands for cash rules.everyrhing around me
I was 20 years old when I learned that salt lamps are indeed made of salt.
I always thought that it was plastic carved into a rock-like shape
Reminds me of a recent post about putting the salt lamp in the dishwasher to clean it...
I was almost 30 when I realized that travelling uphill does not always mean you're travelling north. And similarly rivers can run north because they aren't going "uphill".
I'm not normally that stupid.
That when i deposit cash in the bank, there isn’t a specific money locker just for me.
That menstrual fluid isn’t blue. The tampon and pad commercials had me fooled.
We started getting ads where the fluid they use was red. Apparently they got a lot of complaints saying its disgusting and not suitable for TV. F**k that noise, we need to stop periods being a taboo subject and something we need to hide.
I thought women get pregnant at a random moment in their life until my friend told me you have to have intercourse in 7th grade.
I thought the D is Disney was just some random symbol, kinda like a backwards G. It took me until like 7th grade to realize it and even as an adult I still can’t unsee the backwards G.
I used to think the y in Disney was actually a p and called them Disnep.
"TP" stood for Toilet Paper. I thought to "TP someone's house" you just put toilet paper over it to look like a teepee.
I was 16 when I found out you're meant to spit toothpaste out after brushing your teeth, I had always just swallowed it and thought that's just what you do... Idk how tf I don't have flouride poisoning
I thought an armadillo was a reptile rather than a mammal
Those containers Chinese food come in unfold into plates.
Up until 15 I believed If I swallow a seed and then drinks water a tree is going to grow inside me.
That the game show Wheel of Fortune is named after the tarot card
They did a pilot for “Wheel of Suffering and Desire,” but it didn’t test well with non-Buddhist audiences.
There is nothing wrong with not knowing something. Learning is always, always a good thing. The problem only starts when you learn something new and then pretend it doesn't exist. I'm looking at you, climate deniers, flat earthers, racism deniers, misogynists-- okay, I'm looking at a lot of people, but you get my meaning.
And people should not stop trying to learn new things just because they finished school. There's always more to learn.
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My dad was a very smart man, he loved to learn new things and read, for me he was a sort of walking encyclopedia.. only one time I taught him something . There is an idiom in Italy "a caval donato non si guarda in bocca" "you don't look in the mouth of a gift horse" because you can tell the age of a horse by the teeth, but Donato it's also a person name.. he told me "I never understand this idiom , I thought that the horse's name was Donato!" We had the best laugh of our life... I miss you so much dad!!
I always assumed this idiom was to do with the Trojan horse - which never made sense to me, because if they had looked inside before accepting it things would have worked out very differently. So thanks Francesca, I learned something new there too!
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I was in my early 50s before I realized I was circumcised. I was stunned. 😂😂😂
There is a clip on YouTube for the Graham Norton show where Sir Patrick Stewart talks about the same confusion. He thought he was....he's not.
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A few of these are from people who didn't realize something about themselves, and I'm here to tell you that assuming everyone experiences life that way you do is an *extremely* common thing. We only have one perspective in life except where imperfectly translated into language, and there's so many questions we don't think to ask. If you're colour blind, or you lack a mind's eye, or whatever, you will most likely believe for a long time that everyone is the same way - until you randomly come across a colour blindness test or somebody talking about aphantasia and you go "Wait, people LITERALLY count sheep?" Same reason a lot of people take forever to realize their true sexuality, especially in previous generations where we talked about sex less - "you mean not every woman just PRETENDS to like sex?" A good reminder to have patience with people because what is obvious to you, is not obvious to everyone. :)
Up until last year, I always thought the Mars Rover was the size of a small children's remote controlled toy. Then I found out it's about the size of an actual car. Somehow it always looked small when I saw photos of it on Mars!
The banana thing is REAL I had the SAME THING happen during Organic Chem in college, we were talking about acidic foods and I was loud about how bananas must be as acidic if not more so than pineapples, since they wreck my mouth like eating too much pineapple every time. The entire class just stared at me, the prof explained how that makes sense for pineapples, due to their acidity and the rough texture, but bananas? nooooo Told me to check with my doctor about it, yep allergic to latex plants, could become a latex allergy, very important to know
I am embarrassed to admit that it was only last year that I realized pockets of air can get trapped underwater by a vessel. I was reading a book where a chamber was filling up with water, and the characters only had an air pocket from an upside down canoe to breathe. I didn't understand how they had any air at all. And it was a book for young adults! Durp.
I thought soda could only be drunk after someone was 7 years old. (Because of 7-up)
I believed in Santa Claus til I was 12. Overheard my aunt talking about it (not about Me). God knows how long it would have taken me to get it. There went Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, and Jesus, all in one fell swoop.
Like the saying "Don't let the bedbugs bite". I was in my 40's when I learned that bedbugs we're REAL. So now I suppose they're going to tell me that the Boogie man is real too.
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I grew up in Texas. I thought Whataburger was like Water Burger or something because the burgers were juicy. I was in my 20's when I finally solved the riddle.
The term comes from the fact that people who needn't work outdoors are often very pale, and you can see their veins through their skin. And because those veins appear blue... You get it.
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That the band is called "Bowling for Soup" not "Bullwinkle Soup" This was like a month ago. I'm 27
My son looked at his puckered finger tips in the pool and cried because he thought it was permanent water damage 😆
I was an adult before I found out that facade did NOT have two pronunciations. I had always thought that when referring to a building it was pronounced fa KA yd like arcade or colonnade and when referring to a person putting on a false front or face it was pronounced face-ad because they were being two-faced.
I dont think either of those are right. Its "fuh-sawd."
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Wolverines ARE real live animals! https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolverine
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I remember my sudden disappointment as an older kid upon finally eating my first candy apple. Candy apples aren't entirely made of candy but actually have a real apple under them.
We don't have candy apples in Portugal, i've always wanted to try One and the fact that now i know it has a real Apple inside makes me want to try it more
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I think I was 20 when I learned that female nipples don’t just have one hole where milk comes out of… and I’m female. For some reason I also thought the word “prevent” meant the opposite — as in causing something to happen — until I was 8 or 9. Up until then, the Smokey the Bear sign my dad had was very confusing.
I think I was 20 when I finally figured out the tall man in Simon and Garfunkels’ video for You Can Call Me Al, is in fact Garfunkel and not Will Ferrell xD
That elected officials are not held accountable, nor do they actually have do anything.
I learned 2 weeks ago that pickles are cucumbers. My whole life is a lie 🥲.
Was in my 60's when it occurred to me what occupation Miss Kitty really had in the TV series "Gunsmoke"
I just learned some of these and I'm 32. I also have to care to question it.
A crockpot is so called because it is a pot you put your crock in to heat it up. That took me a while.
I was in my early 30s when i learned that New England is not, in fact, a state.
As a kid I thought the term drinking meants drinks overall. So when my parents taught us drinking was bad I thought they meant like juice, water, soda. Drinking and driving was another, I remember my dad had a soda and was driving I was like 'Oh no, my dad is doing something bad. It wasn't until I saw a PSA on tv about some guy drinking beer and then hopping into his car where it timeskips to him being bound in a wheelchair paralyzed that I learned 'drink' means Alcohol.
I think I was in junior high when I found out that not all poodles are girl dogs and all German shepherds are boy dogs!
When I was younger my dad told me that if I unscrewed my belly button my butt would fall off. When I tell you I tried so hard and was disappointed it didn't work, he finally told me to truth: I didn't have the right tool. *insertdisappointmenthere*
TIL that the fine constant (1/137) is called that because of the fine gaps in the spectral lines of atoms. How did I not get that amirite? Anybody?
Maybe you'll meet a woman this year. Maybe. Probably not.
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There is nothing wrong with not knowing something. Learning is always, always a good thing. The problem only starts when you learn something new and then pretend it doesn't exist. I'm looking at you, climate deniers, flat earthers, racism deniers, misogynists-- okay, I'm looking at a lot of people, but you get my meaning.
And people should not stop trying to learn new things just because they finished school. There's always more to learn.
Load More Replies... My dad was a very smart man, he loved to learn new things and read, for me he was a sort of walking encyclopedia.. only one time I taught him something . There is an idiom in Italy "a caval donato non si guarda in bocca" "you don't look in the mouth of a gift horse" because you can tell the age of a horse by the teeth, but Donato it's also a person name.. he told me "I never understand this idiom , I thought that the horse's name was Donato!" We had the best laugh of our life... I miss you so much dad!!
I always assumed this idiom was to do with the Trojan horse - which never made sense to me, because if they had looked inside before accepting it things would have worked out very differently. So thanks Francesca, I learned something new there too!
Load More Replies... I was in my early 50s before I realized I was circumcised. I was stunned. 😂😂😂
There is a clip on YouTube for the Graham Norton show where Sir Patrick Stewart talks about the same confusion. He thought he was....he's not.
Load More Replies... A few of these are from people who didn't realize something about themselves, and I'm here to tell you that assuming everyone experiences life that way you do is an *extremely* common thing. We only have one perspective in life except where imperfectly translated into language, and there's so many questions we don't think to ask. If you're colour blind, or you lack a mind's eye, or whatever, you will most likely believe for a long time that everyone is the same way - until you randomly come across a colour blindness test or somebody talking about aphantasia and you go "Wait, people LITERALLY count sheep?" Same reason a lot of people take forever to realize their true sexuality, especially in previous generations where we talked about sex less - "you mean not every woman just PRETENDS to like sex?" A good reminder to have patience with people because what is obvious to you, is not obvious to everyone. :)
Up until last year, I always thought the Mars Rover was the size of a small children's remote controlled toy. Then I found out it's about the size of an actual car. Somehow it always looked small when I saw photos of it on Mars!
The banana thing is REAL I had the SAME THING happen during Organic Chem in college, we were talking about acidic foods and I was loud about how bananas must be as acidic if not more so than pineapples, since they wreck my mouth like eating too much pineapple every time. The entire class just stared at me, the prof explained how that makes sense for pineapples, due to their acidity and the rough texture, but bananas? nooooo Told me to check with my doctor about it, yep allergic to latex plants, could become a latex allergy, very important to know
I am embarrassed to admit that it was only last year that I realized pockets of air can get trapped underwater by a vessel. I was reading a book where a chamber was filling up with water, and the characters only had an air pocket from an upside down canoe to breathe. I didn't understand how they had any air at all. And it was a book for young adults! Durp.
I thought soda could only be drunk after someone was 7 years old. (Because of 7-up)
I believed in Santa Claus til I was 12. Overheard my aunt talking about it (not about Me). God knows how long it would have taken me to get it. There went Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, and Jesus, all in one fell swoop.
Like the saying "Don't let the bedbugs bite". I was in my 40's when I learned that bedbugs we're REAL. So now I suppose they're going to tell me that the Boogie man is real too.
Load More Replies... I grew up in Texas. I thought Whataburger was like Water Burger or something because the burgers were juicy. I was in my 20's when I finally solved the riddle.
The term comes from the fact that people who needn't work outdoors are often very pale, and you can see their veins through their skin. And because those veins appear blue... You get it.
Load More Replies... That the band is called "Bowling for Soup" not "Bullwinkle Soup" This was like a month ago. I'm 27
My son looked at his puckered finger tips in the pool and cried because he thought it was permanent water damage 😆
I was an adult before I found out that facade did NOT have two pronunciations. I had always thought that when referring to a building it was pronounced fa KA yd like arcade or colonnade and when referring to a person putting on a false front or face it was pronounced face-ad because they were being two-faced.
I dont think either of those are right. Its "fuh-sawd."
Load More Replies... Wolverines ARE real live animals! https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolverine
Load More Replies... I remember my sudden disappointment as an older kid upon finally eating my first candy apple. Candy apples aren't entirely made of candy but actually have a real apple under them.
We don't have candy apples in Portugal, i've always wanted to try One and the fact that now i know it has a real Apple inside makes me want to try it more
Load More Replies... I think I was 20 when I learned that female nipples don’t just have one hole where milk comes out of… and I’m female. For some reason I also thought the word “prevent” meant the opposite — as in causing something to happen — until I was 8 or 9. Up until then, the Smokey the Bear sign my dad had was very confusing.
I think I was 20 when I finally figured out the tall man in Simon and Garfunkels’ video for You Can Call Me Al, is in fact Garfunkel and not Will Ferrell xD
That elected officials are not held accountable, nor do they actually have do anything.
I learned 2 weeks ago that pickles are cucumbers. My whole life is a lie 🥲.
Was in my 60's when it occurred to me what occupation Miss Kitty really had in the TV series "Gunsmoke"
I just learned some of these and I'm 32. I also have to care to question it.
A crockpot is so called because it is a pot you put your crock in to heat it up. That took me a while.
I was in my early 30s when i learned that New England is not, in fact, a state.
As a kid I thought the term drinking meants drinks overall. So when my parents taught us drinking was bad I thought they meant like juice, water, soda. Drinking and driving was another, I remember my dad had a soda and was driving I was like 'Oh no, my dad is doing something bad. It wasn't until I saw a PSA on tv about some guy drinking beer and then hopping into his car where it timeskips to him being bound in a wheelchair paralyzed that I learned 'drink' means Alcohol.
I think I was in junior high when I found out that not all poodles are girl dogs and all German shepherds are boy dogs!
When I was younger my dad told me that if I unscrewed my belly button my butt would fall off. When I tell you I tried so hard and was disappointed it didn't work, he finally told me to truth: I didn't have the right tool. *insertdisappointmenthere*
TIL that the fine constant (1/137) is called that because of the fine gaps in the spectral lines of atoms. How did I not get that amirite? Anybody?
Maybe you'll meet a woman this year. Maybe. Probably not.
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