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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That realtor is not pronounced "real-uh-tor"

again, this is regional.

Jewelry and Realtor are pronounced differently depending on where you were raised.

Maybe, but one is right and the other wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That it's astigmatism and "a stigmatism."

me too!

This raises an interesting spinoff. Do you correct your spouse when they say something like this? I do, because I don’t want others to think less of my spouse. However, I appreciate it can be viewed as patronizing. I always struggle whether to say something.

I used to, but he will never admit to any mistake or change his behavior accordingly,.so I stopped. This is why our Tupperware lids are all warped beyond usefulness (he insists on leaving lids on in microwave even after being shown the nearly invisible instructions not to on the lid). Last week he made a cake for our son's birthday and put plates over the round pans when he took them out of the oven to cool, then refused to acknowledge that this might be why the cake was soggy not "moist," as he insisted.

You shouldn’t put any plastic in the microwave.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My best friend in my not-very-diverse school district was half Japanese and half Jewish. They were observant Jews and there were three kids in the family. For a long time, I thought all Japanese people practiced Judaism.

That’s kinda funny

I grew up in NY and I assumed everybody’s schools closed for the Jewish holidays. I had no idea it was just a NY area thing.

I didn't realize the school thing until I moved here and had kids. It never occurred to me that we wouldn't have the second day of RH off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought the expression “your name is mud” referred to your name being in the dirt. Two years ago I learned it was “your name is Mudd” referring to the doctor, Dr Mudd, who took care of President Lincoln’s murderer John Wilkes Booth and the doctor’s name and reputation we’re ruined.

I also just learned that east/west interstates are even numbers while north/south are odd numbers.

Mark today as the day I learned that!
I only learned about the interstates about 5 year ago when my husband casually mentioned it.
-- 51 year old here....

[Anonymous]

"What do you call a suitcase with wheels that you put in the overhead bin on an airplane?

I always called it a rollerboard but someone recently told me that it's roll-aboard. And google tells me it's up for debate."
..................


that is better than being confused between 'carrion' or 'carry on'!

[Anonymous]

In middle school I thought Marion Barry was two people. Mary and Barry. "They" were on the news a lot (scandals) but it took until high school that I realized it was one person and that person was the mayor of DC. Granted, I'm pretty sure I didn't the governor/mayor/ect of anyone in Virginia at the time either.

[Anonymous]

I only realized that the reason a combustion engine is called one is because the spark plugs release little burst of fire.

Or something like that

According to DH.

Didnt know aboutDr Mudd

[Anonymous]

On highway exit signs, if the exit is on the right, the exit number is on the right of the sign. If the exit is on the left, the exit number is on the left of the sign.

[Anonymous]

I learned to tie shoelaces when I was 10 (most other kids were 5).

I learned to drive and got my license age 40. I am European however, and lived in a major city with metro and excellent public transport - plus I was never afraid of using my legs to walk places...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In middle school I thought Marion Barry was two people. Mary and Barry. "They" were on the news a lot (scandals) but it took until high school that I realized it was one person and that person was the mayor of DC. Granted, I'm pretty sure I didn't the governor/mayor/ect of anyone in Virginia at the time either.

DC native here, I only found out that there was such a thing as a marionberry a few years ago during a discussion about pies. I was like WTF is a Marion Barry Pie?

And I thought hors d’oeuvres was spelled “orderves” until college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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

Same, learned this as adult, and now am paranoid about it that I have brought food to play dates (which I guess you don’t do)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought the expression “your name is mud” referred to your name being in the dirt. Two years ago I learned it was “your name is Mudd” referring to the doctor, Dr Mudd, who took care of President Lincoln’s murderer John Wilkes Booth and the doctor’s name and reputation we’re ruined.

I also just learned that east/west interstates are even numbers while north/south are odd numbers.

Mark today as the day I learned that!
I only learned about the interstates about 5 year ago when my husband casually mentioned it.
-- 51 year old here....

https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/your-name-is-mud.html

“Actually, whether Dr. Mudd was innocent or not is of little consequence in regard to the origin of 'your name is mud', as it was in general circulation long before Lincoln was assassinated. This citation comes from John Badcock (a.k.a. 'J. Bee’) in Slang - A Dictionary of the Turf etc., 1823:
"Mud - a stupid twaddling fellow. ‘And his name is mud!’ ejaculated upon the conclusion of a silly oration, or of a leader in the Courier."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In middle school I thought Marion Barry was two people. Mary and Barry. "They" were on the news a lot (scandals) but it took until high school that I realized it was one person and that person was the mayor of DC. Granted, I'm pretty sure I didn't the governor/mayor/ect of anyone in Virginia at the time either.

LMAO! I love you, PP. I literally burst out laughing aloud.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The strings sewn into dresses and sweaters (hanger strings)

https://www.dailyedge.ie/hanger-strings-are-so-annoying-2865909-Jul2016/

I didn’t know that you were supposed to cut the thread out of a new coat pocket. For years I worse an expense coat with flaps and no pockets. I just didn’t want to rip it.

I see this in DC all the time and this drives me crazy!!! Also on women skirt's slits, or fabric label on the sleeve of coat or jacket. I always feel like to approach that persona and to cut it off. I grew up in a third world country and everyone knew this. It is mind blowing how this self identified "educated" elite liberals don't know such a thing!

[Anonymous]

When I was 17, I learned that people have sex for reasons besides having children. I did not grow up sheltered in the least and I’ve known how sex works since I was five. However, I am asexual and am on the autism spectrum.