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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How to make the gas pump itself at the pump by clicking that switch on the handle.

I’ve tried 500000 times and I can’t do it. My DH does.

You physically can't do it? It's like a kickstand for a bicycle. It's just a little wedge thing that locks into place. I learned this when I was 15 and learning to drive (25 years ago)

It's not available in every state. It's not allowed in NY. You have to hold the handle the whole time there.

This is not true at all. I live in NY and I use them all the time.

Do- I think CT is one if the state’s that doesn’t allow them. I seem to have bad memories of being on I95 holding down the gas handle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought infamous meant really, really famous. I didn’t know it meant famous for being bad until my 20s.

Me too! I actually knew the correct definition of the word when spoken but I didn’t connect it to “infamous” when written which I pronounced in my head “in famous” and imagined meant something like very famous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought infamous meant really, really famous. I didn’t know it meant famous for being bad until my 20s.

Me too! I actually knew the correct definition of the word when spoken but I didn’t connect it to “infamous” when written which I pronounced in my head “in famous” and imagined meant something like very famous.

I guess you never heard or read FDR's speech about Pearl Harbor, "December 8, 1941, a day that will live in infamy."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t realize until learning on DCUM in my late 30s that you are not supposed to flush tampons. Oops!

At least you learned on DCUM, not when you were writing a $700 check to the plumber.

OMG, this is news to me?! Are you serious? I thought it’s just plastic applicators, wrappers, and pads that you’re not supposed to flush?

DP. I actually don’t flush tampons Bc I didn’t think it was a good idea but I was actually under the impression that they were designed for flushing if I was so inclined. Weird! I wonder if that has changed from the 90s.

The only things that should be flushed are the 3 Ps! pee, poop and (toilet) paper.

[Anonymous]

I thought everyone in Israel was Jewish. Sorry for being ignorant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It blows my mind that grown women go this long without knowing you aren’t supposed to flush tampons when signs EVERYWHERE tell you not to flush anything but toilet paper. Hospitals, schools, movies, libraries, malls, etc. all places where I’ve seen these signs. Are you just not paying attention?

To be fair, this is only "recent," and by recent I mean maybe the last 10 years? I swear, growing up there were no signs anywhere. But I'm old.

Agreed. Although it seems so 'obvious' to some now, the signs about not flushing haven't been around forever, and weren't displayed at all when many of us were younger. What actually seems to be more obvious and logical to many, and no one mentions on these threads (because it's TMI), is to FLUSH BIOLOGICAL WASTE down the toilet. It really is gross to have to discard a bloody, dripping, used tampon (especially on someone's heaviest days!) in the trash/receptacle rather than just flush it down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t realize until learning on DCUM in my late 30s that you are not supposed to flush tampons. Oops!

At least you learned on DCUM, not when you were writing a $700 check to the plumber.

OMG, this is news to me?! Are you serious? I thought it’s just plastic applicators, wrappers, and pads that you’re not supposed to flush?

DP. I actually don’t flush tampons Bc I didn’t think it was a good idea but I was actually under the impression that they were designed for flushing if I was so inclined. Weird! I wonder if that has changed from the 90s.

The only things that should be flushed are the 3 Ps! pee, poop and (toilet) paper.

And vomit. Don’t forget that one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I also laughed so hard about Mary and Barry and “Marion Barry pie”!

I didn't know that "Marilyn" was a name. I thought people were talking about "Maryland". Things seemed so confusing when I thought people were talking about a state, but they were actually talking about a person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought infamous meant really, really famous. I didn’t know it meant famous for being bad until my 20s.

Me too! I actually knew the correct definition of the word when spoken but I didn’t connect it to “infamous” when written which I pronounced in my head “in famous” and imagined meant something like very famous.

I guess you never heard or read FDR's speech about Pearl Harbor, "December 8, 1941, a day that will live in infamy."

December 7

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It blows my mind that grown women go this long without knowing you aren’t supposed to flush tampons when signs EVERYWHERE tell you not to flush anything but toilet paper. Hospitals, schools, movies, libraries, malls, etc. all places where I’ve seen these signs. Are you just not paying attention?

To be fair, this is only "recent," and by recent I mean maybe the last 10 years? I swear, growing up there were no signs anywhere. But I'm old.

Agreed. Although it seems so 'obvious' to some now, the signs about not flushing haven't been around forever, and weren't displayed at all when many of us were younger. What actually seems to be more obvious and logical to many, and no one mentions on these threads (because it's TMI), is to FLUSH BIOLOGICAL WASTE down the toilet. It really is gross to have to discard a bloody, dripping, used tampon (especially on someone's heaviest days!) in the trash/receptacle rather than just flush it down.

I'm 43, got my period at 12, and have NEVER flushed a tampon (or a pad). This seems like total common sense to me. I can't recall whether or not there were signs saying not to, but I'm surprised anyone wouldn't instinctively realize that would be a bad idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought everyone in Israel was Jewish. Sorry for being ignorant.

I'm Jewish and super ignorant about Israel (I've never been and have no relatives from there). What umm ... what other religions are people who live there? What I understood from Hebrew school was that Israel was where super jewy Jews live. Plus our rabbi and his family moved to Israel. So I assumed that everyone there is orthodox or even more jewy than that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought everyone in Israel was Jewish. Sorry for being ignorant.

I'm Jewish and super ignorant about Israel (I've never been and have no relatives from there). What umm ... what other religions are people who live there? What I understood from Hebrew school was that Israel was where super jewy Jews live. Plus our rabbi and his family moved to Israel. So I assumed that everyone there is orthodox or even more jewy than that.

Lots of Israeli Arabs who are mostly Muslim but there are also Christian Arabs, and other Christians.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:“Home on the Range” mentions antelope. Is it all a lie??!!

There aren’t buffalo in America either though the song mentions them too. We have bison here, which some call the American buffalo but they are not actually buffalo. Just like pronghorns are called American antelopes but are not actually antelopes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love these! Especially "We'll burn that bridge when we get to it" and Note Bene.

I did not realize I was supposed to keep those stupid cardboard and/or plastic things in my husband's dress shirts. I'll have to look up what exactly you mean. Do you re-place the cardboard each time you wash the shirt?

I don’t understand either. Our dry cleaners starches the collars to stay up. Who keeps cardboard or plastic?

You don’t keep the cardboard, but you do keep the plastic and reinsert it in the collar after cleaning and pressing. Starching will work, but some people don’t like the feel of starched shirts or the chemicals.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t realize until learning on DCUM in my late 30s that you are not supposed to flush tampons. Oops!

At least you learned on DCUM, not when you were writing a $700 check to the plumber.

OMG, this is news to me?! Are you serious? I thought it’s just plastic applicators, wrappers, and pads that you’re not supposed to flush?

DP. I actually don’t flush tampons Bc I didn’t think it was a good idea but I was actually under the impression that they were designed for flushing if I was so inclined. Weird! I wonder if that has changed from the 90s.

I actually started a heated debate on this around 2010 - if I recall. Flush or Toss, or something like that. I couldn't fathom "tossing" it, so I always flushed. After that debate, I changed my ways.

Tampons were marketed, I'm pretty sure, to be flushable back in the 60s--70s and everyone flushed them. I imagine part of the concept of OB tampons was that there wouldn't even be an applicator lying around to tell the world you were having a period. I think the cardboard applicators used to be flushed as well. It might actually be that when they replaced the original cotton (I imagine it was) with fibers that expanded more it became more apparent there was an issue.

I think there are products that "can" be flushed but shouldn't be. Eg hemorrhoid cleaning pads, tampons and feminine wipes will probably go past the toilet U-bend, but then they won't break down while traveling down your sewer pipe, or while in your septic tank (for those not on the city sewer). If one tampon or wipe catches on a rough patch (eg in old cast iron pipe), then that lump will catch wipes and tampons that come pass in future flushes. Eventually there is a giant clump that blocks the sewer, necessitating that the sewer be snaked. Plumbers tend to recommend the thinnest toilet paper eg Scotts because that falls apart when wet. Triple ply cushiony toilet paper can also be a disaster for sewers - so go cheap!

Well now I understand why public restroom toilet paper is as thin as an oil blotting sheet