What commonly known thing did you learn at an embarrassingly older age?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That you are supposed to give a hostess gift when you go to someone's house. I grew up middle class, and the only people we ever entertained were lower middle class family.

I learned this in college. Extremely embarrassing.

I'm fifty and just learned this right now. None of my middle class / lower middle class family and friends did this

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What an advent calendar is. I bought a few at Costco the other year without really looking at it, thinking it was cute and I could give it out as part of bday presents.... for birthdays of my kids’ friends from their Jewish preschool. Whoops! The first mom was like, thaaaaanks

OMG, that is hilarious

[Anonymous]

In the 90s, my sister, getting ready to go to college when she was 18, asked me if our dad would continue to pay the electric bill for her car. She did know how to charge gas on the credit card, but thought there was a separate electric bill.

She was outdone by one of her best friends who realized that you needed to change / refill the oil in your automobile only after her engine melted down - She had never had an oil change since her dad bought her the car - but I blame the dad for that one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That all Asians are not universally referred to as “orientals”. Thanks rural Ohio.

Things are Oriental, people are Asian... they are from the continent Asia... which includes Iraq for an example.

No one would refer to someone from Iraq as Asian. They are middle eastern.

Actually, they are West Asian. You are conflating ethnicity with geography. So, people are learning from this thread.

[Anonymous]

That Jews are not considered white. I was born in the hood and actually never knew anyone Jewish or at least no one that said “I’m Jewish” until I was about 38 years old. I wasn’t educated on the anything about Jewish culture or even the Holocaust. I never understood why Jews would say they were discriminated against, because to me they looked white. I was really ignorant to all things Jewish until my then 7 year old DD starting learning about it the Holocaust in school. I felt pretty stupid. But it was never anything I was taught about.

[Anonymous]

I always thought car detailing meant someone would put little stenciled designs on your car. I was in my 20s and out with a friend. I made a comment about how I couldn’t imagine anyone having that done and I saw so few actual detailed cars when I was out and about. Honestly, even when I hear it now, I have to take a second and make a mental correction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I was 32 when my sister pointed out that it is "Sherbet" not "Sherbert".

I was today years old. Thank you for educating me!

This one caused a huge debate at an extended family dinner last year. 3/4 of us insisted it was sherbert. A few swore we were wrong. Google wasn't convincing us. The debate was solved when another family member called to say she was stopping at the store on her way over and did we need anything? Yes, actually, we needed a container of Sherbert. 3/4 of us had to eat crow when she arrived (somewhat confused) with a container of Sherbet.

[Anonymous]

I learned last year that a possum is an opossum. I thought they were two different animals. My husband and 10 yo son take every opportunity to make fun on me about this.

[Anonymous]

I just found out that Anne Bancroft and Mel Brooks were married for like 40 years. How did I not know that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I was 32 when my sister pointed out that it is "Sherbet" not "Sherbert".

I was today years old. Thank you for educating me!

This one caused a huge debate at an extended family dinner last year. 3/4 of us insisted it was sherbert. A few swore we were wrong. Google wasn't convincing us. The debate was solved when another family member called to say she was stopping at the store on her way over and did we need anything? Yes, actually, we needed a container of Sherbert. 3/4 of us had to eat crow when she arrived (somewhat confused) with a container of Sherbet.

If sherbet... do you pronounce it sher-bet or sher-bay?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I learned last year that a possum is an opossum. I thought they were two different animals. My husband and 10 yo son take every opportunity to make fun on me about this.

Actually, you’re both right. Possums (Phalangeriformes) are from Australia and Opossums (Didelphimorphia) are from the Americas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The difference between e.g. and i.e. Was blissfully using them interchangeably until my mid 40s.

I correct my coworker's in formal documentation on this ALL. THE. TIME. Thank you, high school Latin class.

Yes, 8th grade Latin here! I used to edit high school English papers and I had to correct e.g. and i.e. all the time.

[Anonymous]

^meant to add that Americans say ‘possum, but are referring to opossum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought Boston was south of NYC until I was well into high school ?

Don't worry, I dated a guy born and raised in the D.C. area, who thought that NY was part of New England. I don't think that many people from this area have actually been to the North East at all, judging from some things I read on DCUM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How to pronounce gnocchi.

I said, G-noch-E at the holiday work lunch one year. I was 35.

Common error amongst non Italians.