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What is ‘obvious’ to you and me might not be clear to someone else. And vice versa! Common sense isn’t all that common. Not to mention that all of us, no matter our education, have gaps in our knowledge that we’re not aware of. It takes quite a bit of guts and tons of humility to admit that.
Members of the r/AskReddit online community recently opened up about the ‘really obvious’ things they only just realized. Scroll down for a good laugh, as well as a reminder that we’re not so different when it comes to our info blindspots, after all.
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#1
I learned where "Pulling out all the stops" came from a couple of years ago (watching a documentary on Interstellar's music).
It's from playing organs...air is blown thru the organ's pipes to play notes - and you have "stops" in there if you don't want a particular pipe to play. So when you pull out all the stops, you get all the pipes playing...
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#2
I was at least 50 when I learned that the little piggy who went to market wasn’t shopping.
#3
My mom was doing her best.
Gustav Gallifrey 1 year ago
Most of them are. Most of them deserve the Victoria Cross/Medal of Honour/whatever.
Most of us want to be accepted and respected by our family and friends, as well as coworkers and strangers alike. Like it or not, social connections and reputation matter to lots of people. Naturally, this means that some folks want to present themselves in the best possible light. That means showing off their best qualities while subtly hiding the worst ones.
For many people, losing their social standing and being publicly humiliated is one of the most horrible things that can happen to them. That’s why they obsess so much about projecting power and authority and avoid behaviors that can make them look weak… like admitting that they don’t know something about a subject many others do.
#4
My sister learned recently that when you're at the grocery store and opening the egg carton that you're checking for cracked eggs and not just making sure that they are in fact eggs in the carton.
#6
I am 19 and I have had ADHD and a sleeping disorder my whole life. I decided to go to the doctor and figure out wtf was wrong with me after I turned 18. Turned out I wasn’t stupid just undiagnosed going without meds. So now just about every adult looks at me like a lazy bum that fell asleep in every class and couldn’t pay attention or understand assignments. When I got on meds (senior year) I was #16 of my class in the top 20%.
The problem with wanting to be seen as ‘perfect’ at all times is that it’s utterly unsustainable. Nobody’s perfect. We all make mistakes. We all have a lot to learn about the world, even if we have a few fancy degrees under our belts.
However, how we react to our mistakes and ignorance says a lot about who we are, how we approach learning, and whether we have a growth-oriented mindset. Admitting that we’ve been wrong about something and owning up to our knowledge gaps can be embarrassing. If you deny that you’ve been wrong, you’ll only push people away from you. On the other hand, when you embrace your embarrassment and admit to having been wrong, you paradoxically draw people in. Your humility makes you seem more human.
#7
How the American bail system works.
I thought it was a sum of money you paid to avoid jail. I was surprised when I realized you get the money BACK if you show up for your trial.
#8
I was like 25 when I found out the jugs of washer fluid outside the gas station aren’t free. I was walking out of the gas station with a buddy one day, grabbed a jug of washer fluid, and he asked me “did you just steal that?” And I was like “No, dude, it’s free”. It’s not, I stole washer fluid for nearly ten years of driving and no one ever said anything to me about it.
#9
In high school science class we were watching a video and it was then that I realized Reindeer are, in fact, real creatures and not just mythical beings for the purpose of pulling Santa’s sled.
Even though there’s absolutely no way to learn everything there is to know about the world, we can do our best to fill in our knowledge gaps as we become aware of them.
For instance, if you suddenly realize that you thought that reindeer were mythical creatures, you could do some research about the animal. Read up on them online. Go to your local library for some more resources. Visit a wildlife sanctuary and see them with your own two eyes.
#10
When I was a kid I thought it was ultra violent light instead of ultraviolet light. As in, that sun can really f**k up your skin if you don’t wear sunscreen. Bahahaha! So violent.
Gustav Gallifrey 1 year ago
So, in a sense, it can actually be ultra-violent. Wear sunscreen, people.
#11
That the drummer for Nirvana really was Dave Grohl, and not just a guy that looks really similar.
#12
Water towers are for water pressure, not just a town putting its name on a tank and saying "Hey look how much dang water WE have."
Similarly, if you suddenly realize that you’ve been oblivious about saving and investing, there’s no time like the present to brush up on your knowledge and start your journey toward financial independence. Of course, you’re bound to have some regrets about not knowing something earlier. However, the best time to correct your mistakes is the present. And if you’re cringing about the person you were in the past, it only means that you’ve grown!
For some more ‘obvious’ knowledge gaps that folks only realized they had later in life, take a peek at Bored Panda’s earlier post.
#13
I feel so dumb for this but I just learned that ‘Rainbow Baby’ is a mother’s next baby after having a miscarriage. I just assumed it was a term of endearment for a queer baby. I know. I know. 🤦🏽♀️
#14
Not me, but my 21yo cousin just realized he is mildly allergic to peanut butter, and has been his whole life.
Up until now, he had assumed EVERYONE'S throat closed up a little while eating a pb&j sandwich, but they just fought through it.
cerinamroth 1 year ago
Oh my word, that's scary. I have a mild peanut allergy (never had anaphylaxis so I wouldn't call it severe) but just the sensation of itching, closing throat and nausea is enough to put me off even *smelling* them. If someone eats peanuts anywhere near me, I have to leave. Highly inconvenient on planes (!) and really pisses me off in the cinema!
#15
That the best time to start saving for my future really was all those years ago.
#16
Learned I was allergic to latex from talking to my friend. She told me that since I’m allergic to some citrus I may be allergic to latex and asked me if condoms bothered me. I responded and said yes but they bother everyone who uses them.
That’s how I learned that burning and itching and a road rash are not normal after coitus with a condom. 🙃 (I’m 26).
#17
I recently realized that “Howdy” is short for “How do you do?” I actually just googled it, and it’s technically short for “How do ye?” However, my realization still makes sense.
Anyone-for-tea? 1 year ago
In the UK we say “alright?” Which is short for “good day to you, upstanding fellow citizen, how do you fare on this fine day?”
#18
I was 39 when I realised the pointy bit on a the lid of a tube of something, for example tomato puree.. Was for braking the foil seal. For years I used a fork to break the seal until I watched someone remove the lid , turn it around and place it over the seal. Mind blown.
#19
I just found out yesterday that I have aphantasia, meaning I can't visualize images in my mind. When I think about an object I just know that I'm thinking about it, but I don't see anything when I close my eyes.
Edurne 1 year ago
Wait... do people actually SEE what they're thinking about when they close their eyes? I guess I have it too then, never been able to actually see an image that way
Daya Meyer 1 year ago
My thoughts exactly. I am supposed to see things that aren't really there?
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Ace 1 year ago (edited)
To be fair, this one has only been described and given a name relatively recently. I always thought "visualise" just meant to think about something, the idea that some/most people can bring up a picture of something in their head had never really occurred to me. I discovered it when a physiotherapist was asking me to picture my knee to identify a particular muscle. I used a mirror.
R.C. 1 year ago
Wait. What? People actually see images when they close their eyes? Like actually see them as if their eyes are open looking at something? Like dreaming while they're awake kind of seeing things? I need so much more information. Google!!
David Albro 1 year ago
No, we don't see it in our normal vision. Yet we do see it in our mind's eye. It's closer to where we perceive verbal thoughts. All of the characteristics of normal vision can be seen in the mind's eye but it requires effort and focus.
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Justin Tyme 1 year ago
I can disassemble and assemble things (such as machines) in my mind. I can also do mental math very quickly by visualizing the math problem being solved.
LGBTQpanda 1 year ago
Wow! That is incredible. I would be interested in knowing how old you were when you realized that was something special and not common to everyone.
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kitteh floof lover 1 year ago
me too. i'm 68 and just found out last year. i was wondering if i was imagining it, no pun intended, but it is real. a friend of mine has hyperphantasia, just the opposite. she can visualize anything.
Crybabyartist 1 year ago
I rely on that as an artist, i am able to picture an object precisely and even turn it around and inspect it at any angle I want to. My family is amazed when they ask me to draw something and I do it in 3D in front of them without having the object in site.
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Jill Rhodry 1 year ago
I used to be extremely visual and then acquired aphantasia - it took me nearly two years to learn a new way of thinking- I had a lot of trouble with language too - and to lean into the feeling and concept of the object instead of relying on 'image'.
Leaf 1 year ago
Yes I swear I must've been able to visualize in my head when I was younger because I remember saying I liked reading books because it was like a movie in my head. Then a couple months ago I saw a post about aphantasia again and had a crisis about it.
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Marianne Kearney-Brown 1 year ago
I'm glad I have it. My mind is busy enough without seeing things with my eyes closed.
Definitely a Human 1 year ago
For years I thought the meditation stuff like, "close your eyes and picture a calm lake" was just a metaphor
SleepSycho 1 year ago (edited)
What are dreams like for aphantasians? When I’m picturing stuff I feel like it’s the same as when I dream stuff, and if real successful it’s a day dream.
Dusty's mom 7 months ago
I used to get so mad at my sister's graphic descriptions of what she saw in her dreams - especially colors. I thought she was bragging.
Charronne Johnston 1 year ago
My husband is a professional artist, painting huge canvases. Mostly, he sees them complete in his head, even the abstracts, are complete in his mind. He can practice painting them by sitting in his chair in the living room, moving his hands and arms as if he was standing in his studio.. I can visualize, but how can can have dozens of paintings and sculptures in his head, complete, in full colour, waiting for him to make them real is mind boggling.
Zaach 1 year ago
I am 75 and only in the last few years found out that most people can picture things in their mind. Hell, 4 years ago I found out that some people can listen to a song from beginning to end (I can make it about 8-10 bars in before my mind wanders off - I could not even listen to "Wild Thing" all the way through")
Amanda Hartley 1 year ago
I have this too and only realised a couple of years ago that other people saw things in their mind!
Sarah Berkner 1 year ago
I have somewhere in the middle between this and a photographic memory, I can kind of picture what people look like but not vividly and I have trouble imagining a made-up image. Also I have ticker tape synesthesia which means I usually think in written English, and that makes me good at spelling, I realized I had it years ago because I was thinking if everyone had that they would all be good at spelling, not to mention the people who can't read.
Lise Brouillette 1 year ago
And here I though it meant I was an auditory parson instead of visual. Count me as one who'll go to bed a little less ignorant tonight!
weatherwitch 1 year ago
I have it too. It's Fantastic to have your world fall into place. I obviously can't see faces so I've No idea who people are and have to remember facts like big nose, spiky hair etc I get caught out so much! I have multi sensory aphantasia too so don't recognise voices either. It's fascinating!
Tanase Petrus 1 year ago
Same here. I thought my way of "picturing" was the normal way. I learned from a Youtuber that's not the case :))
Robert Lawton 1 year ago
I see everything, words, thoughts, sounds and the list goes on. Pretty common in those of us with ADHD. You are just Neurotypical ("normal'), like most people.
John Jameson 1 year ago
Many people are just finding this out and it is blowing their minds on reddit.
Annabelle K 1 year ago
I will test my students by asking them to visualize a ball bouncing on a table. Then after a minute, I ask them what color the ball is, what kind of table is, and how the ball bounced. It's kind of fascinating to hear how most of us visualize something different. I was blown away when I learned some people can't visualize at all.
DuckDuckGoose 1 year ago
Not only can I tell you the colour of the ball. I have a whole room setting and the weather outside, and when my teacher is wearing and how many class mates I have. I love my imagination. Blows my mind when my hubby says he just reads words and there is no image. Like how boring.
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Mario Strada 1 year ago
This is very interesting to me. Whenever I do something of a technical nature, like repairing something or figuring out how to make something work, the images play in my mind as if in a CAD simulation (even before CAD was a thing). It's the only way I know how to do things. I can't imagine not being able to review the process in my mind without images.
Jeevesssssss 1 year ago
Yeah, I only found out from BP. I've been a voracious reader since I was little, but I've never been able to picture characters. It's more, conceptual? Hard to describe. It works!
Robert Trebor 1 year ago
Then there is elephantasia, which is the inability to understand the difference between African elephants and Indian elephants.
DarkGlassSphere 1 year ago
People see a lot, most of that a lot, they don't realize they are seeing.
Short Ferret 1 year ago
My husband is the same way, I only visualize, just different ways of doing the same thing.
Janice Seagraves 1 year ago
I have that too and can picture a book I'm reading in my head like a movie, which I thought everyone could do but found out they can't.
#21
This past weekend, that the girl that invited me to an after party at her place and then asked for me to crash in her bed was not simply just being nice, I am f*****g stupid.
Gustav Gallifrey 1 year ago
(*sigh*) been there, done that, got the regrets to prove it. (And, i wouldn't put it past me to be that dumb again.)
#22
I can't eat any type of nut. It messes with my stomach lining. I genuinely thought nuts just made everyone sick after eating them. Like salsa. Edit: I've discovered something about salsa today.
#23
That sign you see near schools with the two people crossing holding books? I was stuck in traffic a few weeks ago and suddenly realized it wasn't two women with purses.
#24
That cows have to get pregnant before they can make milk.
cerinamroth 1 year ago
The fact so many people are so out of touch with nature and food is what makes me think we are all going to hell in a handcart. We are part of the ecosystem. We are mammals. When do we make milk? For feeding our babies! So it's the same with all mammals. If we poison the ecosystem, we poison ourselves.
#25
I'm Norwegian, and was at least thirty before I realized that the tomatoes crossing the road schoolyard joke (two tomatoes cross the road, one gets run over, the other says "Come on, catch up") has, in what I assume is the original English, a punchline. Well, for a schoolyard joke, anyway.
Norwegian kids tell the same joke, but there's no catch up/ketchup pun in Norwegian, so they just tell a joke where the squashed tomato is now ketchup. At some point a kid who knew enough English to have heard the joke but not enough for the pun told it to younger kids, who assumed it was funny because an older kid was telling it, and it has been repeated between children for generations.
#26
A pickle is a cucumber that's been pickled.
#27
The word "bed" actually looks like a bed.
MrPractical 1 year ago
Handy for remembering which way b and d face. Whose idea was it to have two letters that are identical mirror images of each other? And why does small d face the opposite way as capital D?
#28
I grew up in Poland. When a person was arrested on a crime that was publicized, the media will only list their first name and the first initial of last name, to protect their identity before conviction, e.g. Peter G. My friend thought that all criminals had one letter last names and he was surprised the police wouldn’t just go all Minority Report on them and arrest all people with one letter last names.
#29
Heard this on a podcast yesterday, Fes from that 70s show, FES= foreign exchange student.
#30
It’s called a “funny bone” bc it’s a humerus.
#31
That the phrase mint condition means like new because it's the condition coins leave the mint in.
#32
I am not responsible for other people's lives. Feels a little better accepting that I don't have to stress too much over supporting my family. I shouldn't feel too overwhelmed to the point of having suicidal ideations just from the stress alone. Edit : No, I don't have kids. I'm single, been supporting my family (parents, siblings) for 10 years.
hauntpetals 1 year ago (edited)
I hope I can learn how to not feel responsible for other people's lives, it's cost me so much emotionally and really damaged my mental state. for the past two years I've had so many thoughts of ending things because someone I tried to support all the time (family member) started berating me constantly but out of fear of them doing something I stuck by them. it hurts more than people think
#33
I only realized recently, at 40 years old, that a "fortnight" is called that because it's like "fourteen nights"... I think because I always remembered it as two weeks, and not 14 days.
#34
That sometimes things are just the way they are, you can't change the situation you're in, only your actions and your emotions and how you react to them. I guess I realized that certain situations sometimes feel unfair or are not favourable to your needs and you have to find happiness in the best way you can and live your life. Sometimes you gotta make sacrificies because that's the only option.
#35
I know "felix" is the Latin word for "happy," but only recently did I discover the name Felix is also known to mean "lucky." Now I'm getting the irony of naming a *black cat* "Felix the Cat." (For those who don't know, Felix is an old cartoon, and there's a superstition that a black cat crossing your path is very *un*lucky.)
Charl Marx 1 year ago
Black cats are actually considered good luck in the UK and many other cultures too.
#36
Colonoscopies aren’t just for looking for cancer and other issues. It’s preventative for cancer because they remove the polyps where it starts. I’m pretty up on medical stuff, didn’t know that.
Gvendolina Kacirova 1 year ago
*might* start. It might not. Anyway, always better to remove those.
#37
I'm 50 ish. For the last couple years I kept feeling that I'm getting close to retirement and I'm only going to have a few years to do what I want... Then I realized I could only be halfway there! What if I live till I'm 90? That's 40 more years! I have time to do absolutely anything I want to! It was just this crazy sort of epiphany that went you're looking at this all wrong! Life isn't over at 60 or 65, you still have a lot of time!
cerinamroth 1 year ago
Except I'm not sure I will ever be able to retire, and I think the same will go for many my age. At the same time, AI will take over lots of jobs and, where the industrial revolution replaced hard manual work with machines, this revolution will put people out of work who enjoy using their brains, leaving us all poorer and stupider.
#38
I didn't know there are two little bumps on the F and J keys so your hands know where to center while typing. I only learned this when my kids wanted to try typing and it's the first lesson!
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 1 year ago
And years of gaming make me ignore proper placement when I'm typing so my left hand can cover WASD.
#39
My wife and I are both in our 50's. She told me recently that she just realized the song Black Velvet, by Allanah Myles, is about Elvis.
#40
I used to think that clapper thing in movies was to get the actors' attention. Not for editing.
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 1 year ago
They're for sound synchronization. The loud clap with the visual effect makes editing easier back in the day when sound and video were captured through separate machines and had to be recombined later.
#41
The "Mad" in "Mad Men" meant "Madison Avenue."
#42
Last year I realized that when you sign your "initials" they are called that because they are the first letters, i.e. the initial letters, of your name.
#44
I should have been twisting the bottom of my deodorant to push the plastic cover out instead of using my teeth.
Miliukov Oleksandr 1 year ago
Just so you know, you can also open canned food, not chew through
#46
I had lived for far too long when I learned that cars have an arrow beside the gas gauge to tell you which side the filler cap is on.
#47
In my 30s I finally realized the Bon Jovi lyrics “on a steel horse I ride” was a motorcycle. 🤦🏼♀️
#48
I was 50. FIFTY F*****G YEARS OLD, when I learned that bats are not, in fact, blind. Evidently, I'm an idiot.
So, if being oblivious to something so basic for literally half a century counts: yeah, that.
cerinamroth 1 year ago
People do say "blind as a bat" though, so I think you can be forgiven on that one!
#49
It took me way too long to realize that you could just not answer a question. I always felt the need to either tell what I know or lie. As I got older lies felt tedious so if you asked me you would probably get (my version of) the truth. Sometimes this would lead to ugly truths being told. After watching politicians and actually paying attention to what they say I realized you never HAVE to answer the question that was asked of you. Listen to any reporter interview any politician. The reporter will ask a question, then the politician will just start talking about whatever they want to talk about. If they're nice they will start with the question and lean into what they want to say. This isn't a polite thing to do though so I wouldn't recommend doing it to anyone you care about.
Nadine Debard 1 year ago
I don't know, or I don't want to answer, or the question makes me feel uncomfortable are correct answers.
#50
There is a local plumbing company call “Abacus” with a tag line “you can count on us”. After 20 years I realized their logo was an abacus.
#51
When putting flannel sheets on a bed, Put the top sheet on facing down. It doesn't look as nice but it is cozy as f**k. Plus, the other blankets cover it up anyway. Don't know if I'm the first guy to this party or the last, but I love that I figured it out.
Christine Kenney 1 year ago
I was taught to put the top sheet on upside down so it looked nice when folded over the blanket. My mother didn't use comforters, just bedspreads.
#52
That an "Amber Alert" was named after a child and not the colour of amber. (I thought it was like a code red or code blue type of thing)
#53
That the sound of a snap is your finger hitting your hand, not rubbing off your thumb.
#54
In the song “School’s Out” by Alice Cooper, the line “We’ve got no class, and we’ve got no principals (principles)” is a play on words. Both of those phrases mean we’re uncivilized and lack values and discipline that we would’ve learned going to school. I didn’t pick up on that when I was 6, and I never thought about the lyrics on a deeper level because it was always one of those songs that was just on in the background for me. Only noticed it last year, and I’m 31.
#55
I was in my late thirties when it occurred to me that "for attention" is a perfectly valid motivation for people to do things. Which led to the realization that attention is a form of social currency. At that point I wished somebody had explained this truly basic thing to me when I was young and single.
Auntriarch 1 year ago
I remember an advert for children's services that said "he needs a good listening to"
#56
TMZ's name came from The Thirty Mile Zone. it's a thirty-mile radius from the center of Los Angeles. Outside of this particular zone, producers must pay transportation costs to cast and crew.
#57
To fill the ice tray, you use DRINKABLE water. I don´t know why I never made that connection. My family has been drinking tap water ice cubes for 15 years (for clarification, this is in México city where you should not drink the tap water).
#58
Swedish Meatballs - always thought they were Sweet-ish Meatballs. Could never figure out the Ikea connection...
#59
Don’t judge me. About a year ago I realized “salmon colored” means the inside of the salmon. I was always so confused because salmon are not pink on the outside.
Auntriarch 1 year ago
I had the reverse experience. Farrow & Ball (posh paint company)have a colour called Dead Salmon. It's grey. It was ages before I realised why it wasn't orangey pink.
#60
Frigidaire the refrigerator company? "Frigid air!" Blew my mind.
Jan Rosier 1 year ago
Frigidaire is an actual French word, meaning... refrigerator... althoug more common are 'réfrigérateur' or 'frigo'
#61
I used to always think “Est.” Next to years on buildings and other things meant “estimated” and not “established” lol
Lene 1 year ago
I thought this as well. Until about 5 years ago... I realized it'd make more sense if it meant "established". I'm Danish so English is only my 2nd language... but I like to think a lot about certain words. A bit like when a song is stuck in your head... I have it with single words as well. :)
#62
In the song ‘I saw mommy kissing Santa Clause’ it’s the husband dressed up as Santa and kissing his wife. Mommy is not having an affair with Santa.
cerinamroth 1 year ago
Unless it was down the local shopping centre, in which case your suspicions were confirmed.
#63
Probably a fairly obvious one but 50/50 raffles. 50% goes to whoever runs it, winner gets the other 50% 🤦♂️
#64
Sheep are not female goats.
#65
I was an adult before I realized "happy birthday to you, and many mooooore" at the end of the Happy Birthday song meant many more happy birthdays and not other people whose birthday is today.
#66
I was brought up poor, I just realized that I didn't have to wear clothes until they were worn out or too small.
arthbach 1 year ago
However, wearing clothes until they are worn out, or too small, is hugely better for the environment. A quick Google says "The number of times the average piece of clothing is worn happens to be about 120 times globally. " and it goes on to say this is has been reducing drastically over the last 15 years. Wear your clothes, and help the planet.
#67
That the hunter in Jumanji is also the dad.
#68
Living in the suburbs, it took me until high school to realize that double parking wasn’t taking up two parking spaces.
cerinamroth 1 year ago
In the UK, it's getting your next drink on the table before you've finished your first one ;-)
#69
I should take this to the grave but somehow thought Mickey Mouse was a dog until I was 17 (I’m 24 now) one day I just saw a Mickey Mouse somewhere and went “Why does he have such a skinny little tail??? It looks like a ra-…..wait….”
#70
A banana split is called a banana split because you get one banana that’s split down the middle! 🤦🏻♀️ Never thought of that until my husband was certain you get 2 whole bananas.
Marie Dahme 1 year ago
I remember the massive banana splits at an old ice cream parlor called Farrell’s. It was enough to fed the entire family. If the table (or you) …ate it all, You got a badge that read: “I Made A Pig of Myself at Farrell’s”. It took a few servers to bring it to your table in funny over exaggerated movements to bring attention to your table. And If it was your birthday they would sing (like a quartet) somewhat loud and off key to make sure everyone knew you were getting a massive banana split. Ahhh. Good times back in the 80’s.
#71
I am 27yo and just realized libraries are free!
Gustav Gallifrey 1 year ago
GET IN THERE LADDIE/LASSIE, AND READ AND READ AND READ UNTIL YER HEAD EXPLODES!
#72
I've been a Weird Al fan for my entire life. I've listen to I Want A New Duck endless times for decades. Only recently did it occur to me when he says "And show me how to get down.... GET IT?" he is referring to down feathers.
Nikki Sevven 1 year ago
I move to add Weird Al to the Pantheon of Pure People where he shall forever reign alongside Mr. Rogers, Bob Ross, Keanu, Dolly Parton, Betty White, et alia.
#73
It is a wheelbarrow and not a wheelbarrel. Came as a huge surprise.
Tim Douglass 1 year ago
Fair mistake any more, since we seldom use the term "barrow" in any other context. (at least in the US, it has some meanings in GB) The old barrow was a flat with handles on each end, somewhat like a stretcher. One person on each end to carry it. Adding a wheel to one end of it and making it more barrel like, with sides and an end, makes it a wheel-barrow, able to be used by one person. Note that the original wheel-barrows were flat with just a sloped end added to keep stuff on. Sides came later.
#75
That the opposite of a aboard is all ashore, learned this yesterday and I was surprised.
#76
A while back I realized that “airport” is exactly what it says it is. It is a port. For the air.
cerinamroth 1 year ago
You should learn German ;-) Flugzeug = flying thing (plane); Werkzeug = working thing (tool); Fahrzeug = travelling thing (vehicle)
#77
That Hill Street Blues was named for the uniforms, not for how down in the dumps they got about crime.
#80
When cartoons have a character say "i'm ok!!" after ANYTHING, it's so they don't get into trouble with the network.
#81
Not everyone keeps their tongue touched to upper pad naturally.It's called mewing I just learned about it 😂
#82
I was Well into my late 40s when someone pointed out to me what apparently everyone else knows… Arby’s is phonetically saying R.B. aka…Roast Beef They serve roast beef, the name is RB (Arby) Never made the connection.
Martin Burley 1 year ago
That's probably because it's not true, Arby's comes from the phonetic R B, yes, but it stands for Raffel Brothers, the founders
#83
That the name 'Circle K', gas stations all over the US, is just another way to say OK. They're OK gas stations.
Sofie Andersson 1 year ago
The name Circle K comes from Kay’s Food Stores. https://www.circlek.com/history-and-timeline#fndtn-history-tab
#84
The numbers on the toaster dial are not "power levels"; instead, it is the cooking time in minutes. Blew my mind.
#87
That chameleons don’t actually change colour to a whole new colour they can only change shade and intensity of the base colour they actually are.
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What do you think ?
Bec 1 year ago
There is a difference between a lack of knowledge and a lack of intelligence, were you born knowing everything?
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Violet Smith 1 year ago
I grew up in a city where there were beautiful and obvious mountains to the north, and my parents always taught me that if you want to know where north is, look for the mountains. I was in my 30s when it dawned on me that this wouldn't necessarily work in other places. Derp.
wowbagger 1 year ago
I grew up on the U.S. west coast, and I felt disoriented when I first moved to the east coast. I kept looking at the ocean and thinking, "there's the ocean -- that's west," and then I'd be all turned around.
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similarly 1 year ago
Here's one not a lot of people know: Goodbye was actually a shortening of "God Be With You". GodB(with)Ye.
mysterious(all pronouns) 1 year ago
Due to the number of people not realizing this: If something is itchy/uncomfortable/spicy/makes your throat or mouth feel weird, and this is unique to you/close relatives, you're probably allergic to it.
Tee Pussi 1 year ago
I can't fathom the idea of continuing eating something that makes your throat swell up every time. Even if it DID happen to everyone, you'd think it's so uncomfortable that people stopped eating it.
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OpheliaPoe 1 year ago
I have chickens and a turkey. I was talking about how everyone wants chicken eggs from me (they're pets and I don't eat eggs) but people are weirded out by turkey eggs. My sister exlaimed, "Turkeys lay eggs?!" 😆 She was already over 30 when she learned, by way of this conversation, that turkeys lay eggs.
Giraffy Window 1 year ago (edited)
My dad always had us tap snow and dirt off our feet out the car door before getting all the way in. I internalized that as being nice/respectful to the car, and not as a way to avoid having to clean out excess dirt. This very morning as I was swinging my feet into my own car, the dots finally connected. I've been driving/owned a car for nearly 16 years now, and have done lots of spring car cleaning.
Bec 1 year ago
There is a difference between a lack of knowledge and a lack of intelligence, were you born knowing everything?
Load More Replies... Violet Smith 1 year ago
I grew up in a city where there were beautiful and obvious mountains to the north, and my parents always taught me that if you want to know where north is, look for the mountains. I was in my 30s when it dawned on me that this wouldn't necessarily work in other places. Derp.
wowbagger 1 year ago
I grew up on the U.S. west coast, and I felt disoriented when I first moved to the east coast. I kept looking at the ocean and thinking, "there's the ocean -- that's west," and then I'd be all turned around.
Load More Replies... similarly 1 year ago
Here's one not a lot of people know: Goodbye was actually a shortening of "God Be With You". GodB(with)Ye.
mysterious(all pronouns) 1 year ago
Due to the number of people not realizing this: If something is itchy/uncomfortable/spicy/makes your throat or mouth feel weird, and this is unique to you/close relatives, you're probably allergic to it.
Tee Pussi 1 year ago
I can't fathom the idea of continuing eating something that makes your throat swell up every time. Even if it DID happen to everyone, you'd think it's so uncomfortable that people stopped eating it.
Load More Replies... OpheliaPoe 1 year ago
I have chickens and a turkey. I was talking about how everyone wants chicken eggs from me (they're pets and I don't eat eggs) but people are weirded out by turkey eggs. My sister exlaimed, "Turkeys lay eggs?!" 😆 She was already over 30 when she learned, by way of this conversation, that turkeys lay eggs.
Giraffy Window 1 year ago (edited)
My dad always had us tap snow and dirt off our feet out the car door before getting all the way in. I internalized that as being nice/respectful to the car, and not as a way to avoid having to clean out excess dirt. This very morning as I was swinging my feet into my own car, the dots finally connected. I've been driving/owned a car for nearly 16 years now, and have done lots of spring car cleaning.
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