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

[Anonymous]

I haven’t looked through all the replies, but I just learned last year that the gas symbol on your dashboard in your car has an arrow on it pointing to which side of the car the gas is on. I had NO idea. I just taught that to my parents in their 70s after learning it. I always used to pull over and physically look. Hahaha.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That soap doesn’t kill germs but makes them slip off.

I feel so stupid by never assuming otherwise.

Wouldn't washing with just water do the same then?

I think water does it ok but the soap makes it better.

How soap works (from a website for kids) : Washing up liquid is a kind of soap. Normally, oil and water don't mix, so they separate into two different layers. Soap breaks up the oil into smaller drops, which can mix with the water. It works because soap is made up of molecules with two very different ends. One end of soap molecules love water - they are hydrophilic. The other end of soap molecues hate water - they are hydrophobic.

Hydrophobic ends of soap molecule all attach to the oil. Hydrophilic ends stick out into the water. This causes a drop of oil to form. These drops of oil are suspended in the water. This is how soap cleans your hands - it causes drops of grease and dirt to be pulled off your hands and suspended in water. These drops are washed away when you rinse your hands.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In recipes, tablespoon has a capital T (Tbsp) while the smaller teaspoon has a small t (tsp). We could probably have a whole cooking thread.

b = tablespoon (tbl); and p = teaspoon (tsp)

I mean. No, the p does not = spoon. They both have tsp in them. The sp = spoon...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought their lyrics to the Michael Jackson song was, Annie are you WALKING."
BUt it's:

Annie, are you ok?
So, Annie are you ok
Are you ok, Annie
Annie, are you ok?
So, Annie are you ok
Are you ok, Annie
Annie, are you ok?
So, Annie are you ok?
Are you ok, Annie?
Annie, are you ok?
So, Annie are you ok, are you ok Annie?

My daughter used to think it was “daddy are you ok, you ok daddy?”

I love this. Thanks for the smile this morning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is triathlon pronounced TRI ATH A LON? Because that’s how everybody in the history of the world (that Ive ever heard) pronounces it. Still wondering.

https://lmgtfy.com/?q=how+to+pronounce+triathlon

How did you think it was pronounced?

NP and runner. I've only ever said triathalon! Marathon, triathalon!

That’s how everyone pronounces it!

Not everyone who can read!

Sooo I still don't know which side either of you are arguing.

Are you saying that it rhymes with marathon? Are you saying the A is pronounced? Not pronounced?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When I married my husband he didn’t know Thanksgiving is always on a Thursday.

My dh too. Every few years, he asks me "What day is Thanksgiving on this year?"

It’s not just a Thursday. It’s rule is it’s always on either the third or fourth Thursday of November, I can’t remember which.

last Thursday in november

No, fourth Thursday in November. It's never been on the 29th or 30th, which could be the last Thursday. It's never been on a day between the 15th and 21st, which could be the third Thursday.

Someone mentioned not knowing how many days in February. My mom had a trick for remembering which months have 31 days. You name them off using your knuckles and the space between your knuckles. Knuckle of little finger is January, the space between it and the ring finger is February, and so on. When you get to the Knuckle of the index finger (July) you go to the index finger of the other hand, which is August, and continue to December.

Didn't other people learn the traditional rhyme in school? "30 days hath September, April, June, and November. All the rest have 31 -- except for February, which has 28!"

PP did you know that ... the whole rhyme actually rhymes? 30 days hath September, April, June and November. All the rest have 31, when short February's done

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When I married my husband he didn’t know Thanksgiving is always on a Thursday.

My dh too. Every few years, he asks me "What day is Thanksgiving on this year?"

It’s not just a Thursday. It’s rule is it’s always on either the third or fourth Thursday of November, I can’t remember which.

last Thursday in november

No, fourth Thursday in November. It's never been on the 29th or 30th, which could be the last Thursday. It's never been on a day between the 15th and 21st, which could be the third Thursday.

Someone mentioned not knowing how many days in February. My mom had a trick for remembering which months have 31 days. You name them off using your knuckles and the space between your knuckles. Knuckle of little finger is January, the space between it and the ring finger is February, and so on. When you get to the Knuckle of the index finger (July) you go to the index finger of the other hand, which is August, and continue to December.

Didn't other people learn the traditional rhyme in school? "30 days hath September, April, June, and November. All the rest have 31 -- except for February, which has 28!"

PP did you know that ... the whole rhyme actually rhymes? 30 days hath September, April, June and November. All the rest have 31, when short February's done

How funny. No, I guess I learned a “modern” version.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When I married my husband he didn’t know Thanksgiving is always on a Thursday.

My dh too. Every few years, he asks me "What day is Thanksgiving on this year?"

It’s not just a Thursday. It’s rule is it’s always on either the third or fourth Thursday of November, I can’t remember which.

last Thursday in november

No, fourth Thursday in November. It's never been on the 29th or 30th, which could be the last Thursday. It's never been on a day between the 15th and 21st, which could be the third Thursday.

Someone mentioned not knowing how many days in February. My mom had a trick for remembering which months have 31 days. You name them off using your knuckles and the space between your knuckles. Knuckle of little finger is January, the space between it and the ring finger is February, and so on. When you get to the Knuckle of the index finger (July) you go to the index finger of the other hand, which is August, and continue to December.

Didn't other people learn the traditional rhyme in school? "30 days hath September, April, June, and November. All the rest have 31 -- except for February, which has 28!"

PP did you know that ... the whole rhyme actually rhymes? 30 days hath September, April, June and November. All the rest have 31, when short February's done

How funny. No, I guess I learned a “modern” version.

I'm 22, so I feel like yours isn't necessarily more modern than mine?

[Anonymous]

I am an immigrant. I did not realize that majority of US citizens are not college educted. I did not realize that majority of parents don't pay for weddings and colleges for their kids. I did not realize that there are people making more than 100k who are living paycheck to paycheck. I did not realize that beggars on cross-streets in suburbs have a license to beg. I did not realize that many people do not fight for their kids custody in à divorce case here. I did not realize that homeless people have relatives who did not take them in. I did not realize parents take rent from their adult kids if they return back home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm 53 and still don't know how to fold a fitted sheet. Have watched online tutorials and still can't master it!

I’m 60 and have given up too.

It's gotten worse, because now they have elastic all the way around. I hang my sheets and even the hanging is ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When I married my husband he didn’t know Thanksgiving is always on a Thursday.

My dh too. Every few years, he asks me "What day is Thanksgiving on this year?"

It’s not just a Thursday. It’s rule is it’s always on either the third or fourth Thursday of November, I can’t remember which.

last Thursday in november

No, fourth Thursday in November. It's never been on the 29th or 30th, which could be the last Thursday. It's never been on a day between the 15th and 21st, which could be the third Thursday.

Someone mentioned not knowing how many days in February. My mom had a trick for remembering which months have 31 days. You name them off using your knuckles and the space between your knuckles. Knuckle of little finger is January, the space between it and the ring finger is February, and so on. When you get to the Knuckle of the index finger (July) you go to the index finger of the other hand, which is August, and continue to December.

Didn't other people learn the traditional rhyme in school? "30 days hath September, April, June, and November. All the rest have 31 -- except for February, which has 28!"

PP did you know that ... the whole rhyme actually rhymes? 30 days hath September, April, June and November. All the rest have 31, when short February's done

The problem with the rhyme was that December has the same ending sound and September and November, so I could never remember which. The version I learned was like the first one above except it added "except in Leap Year".

Triva IRL: I work in IT support, but this fiasco was definitely not the fault of the people I work for, we didn't develop the software. The retail system we support underwent major changes between 2010 and 2012. Odd things started happening on Feb 29 in 2012 and on March 1 there was a huge systemwide crash. Never heard the specific cause but clearly someone had not adequately accounted for Feb 29 somewhere along the line.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I only discovered the word “futureproof” yesterday.

Whoever used it--tell them they are simply wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When I married my husband he didn’t know Thanksgiving is always on a Thursday.

My dh too. Every few years, he asks me "What day is Thanksgiving on this year?"

It’s not just a Thursday. It’s rule is it’s always on either the third or fourth Thursday of November, I can’t remember which.

last Thursday in november

No, fourth Thursday in November. It's never been on the 29th or 30th, which could be the last Thursday. It's never been on a day between the 15th and 21st, which could be the third Thursday.

Someone mentioned not knowing how many days in February. My mom had a trick for remembering which months have 31 days. You name them off using your knuckles and the space between your knuckles. Knuckle of little finger is January, the space between it and the ring finger is February, and so on. When you get to the Knuckle of the index finger (July) you go to the index finger of the other hand, which is August, and continue to December.

Didn't other people learn the traditional rhyme in school? "30 days hath September, April, June, and November. All the rest have 31 -- except for February, which has 28!"

PP did you know that ... the whole rhyme actually rhymes? 30 days hath September, April, June and November. All the rest have 31, when short February's done

How funny. No, I guess I learned a “modern” version.

Maybe my way is old too then?

30 days hath September, April, June and November. All the rest have 31 except the second month alone, to which we 28 design til leap year makes it 29.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When I married my husband he didn’t know Thanksgiving is always on a Thursday.

My dh too. Every few years, he asks me "What day is Thanksgiving on this year?"

It’s not just a Thursday. It’s rule is it’s always on either the third or fourth Thursday of November, I can’t remember which.

last Thursday in november

No, fourth Thursday in November. It's never been on the 29th or 30th, which could be the last Thursday. It's never been on a day between the 15th and 21st, which could be the third Thursday.

Someone mentioned not knowing how many days in February. My mom had a trick for remembering which months have 31 days. You name them off using your knuckles and the space between your knuckles. Knuckle of little finger is January, the space between it and the ring finger is February, and so on. When you get to the Knuckle of the index finger (July) you go to the index finger of the other hand, which is August, and continue to December.

Didn't other people learn the traditional rhyme in school? "30 days hath September, April, June, and November. All the rest have 31 -- except for February, which has 28!"

PP did you know that ... the whole rhyme actually rhymes? 30 days hath September, April, June and November. All the rest have 31, when short February's done

How funny. No, I guess I learned a “modern” version.

Maybe my way is old too then?

30 days hath September, April, June and November. All the rest have 31 except the second month alone, to which we 28 design til leap year makes it 29.

I think I learned this around 1987:

30 days hath September; April, June, and November. All the rest have 31, except February with 28. Leap year comes one year in four and then February has one day more.

[Anonymous]

Here’s yet ANOTHER version of the days rhyme:
30 days have September, April, June, and November
All the rest have 31.
Except for February alone;
That has 28 days clear,
And 29 on each leap year!