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

[Anonymous]

I just learned that and inside out French braid is called a Dutch braid AND that if you want to have nice curls from a braid it has to be from a Dutch braid. I’ve been trying to French braid my hair overnight for cute curls my whole life and wondering why it always looks terrible. And now i know.

[Anonymous]

When using a bobby pins you are supposed to put the shorter side with ridges against your scalp so it stays in place better. I always put the longer flat side.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many people in this country do not have a daily BM in the morning. They do not have the concept of "regularity" and will poop only once every couple days or more, at no fixed time.

This is curious phrasing. Are you saying that many people in other countries have a daily BM in the morning and have told you this?

Different poster here, but yes. Where I grew up (with primarily vegetarian / medeterian diet type), no-one would use office bathroom for BM (it would happen really rarely). Most people would have it regularly in the morning at home, before heading to work.

Agree. Mediterranean or plant based = morning, regular, easy, non-smelly poops.

The irregular ones with the foul poops percolating in their digestive system tend to be on the American low-carb train. Eating a lot of animal products will do that to you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Well it does share a very long Eastern border with New England. And many of the people who work in NYC live in Connecticut, so are New Englanders. It's pretty easy to see why people get confused especially since most people think of the Big Apple when they think of New York.

Wow I lived in CT til age 20 and always believed NY was a part of NE.

[Anonymous]

Heard a news report that guerillas were attacking people in a south american country. Asked my mom, "why would gorillas be attacking people"?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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

Isn’t this just done when one is hosting a party?

No. When someone invites us over, we take a bottle of wine, a six pack of beer, some cookies, whatever. My DD has a friend who brings over a snack every time they have a playdate, I think it's great of her parents to teach her such good manners at an early age, we've started doing it too - either a snack or a craft.

I grew up solidly middle class and our family friends were of a varied socioeconomic group, this was always the case. I grew up in the midwest, so perhaps that's why. In my opinion, people are more polite, generous, and mindful of others in the Midwest.

That’s fine. The idea is that one should not go empty-handed. Either Hostess gift OR party gift/ contribution like what you bring is fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am 43.
A couple years ago my friend mentioned 4/20 and lo and behold - I had no idea what it was!

I'm 54, and only figured that out about 4-5 years ago. I don't partake, never have - so that's likely why. Not condemning those who do partake, btw.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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

Isn’t this just done when one is hosting a party?

No. When someone invites us over, we take a bottle of wine, a six pack of beer, some cookies, whatever. My DD has a friend who brings over a snack every time they have a playdate, I think it's great of her parents to teach her such good manners at an early age, we've started doing it too - either a snack or a craft.

I grew up solidly middle class and our family friends were of a varied socioeconomic group, this was always the case. I grew up in the midwest, so perhaps that's why. In my opinion, people are more polite, generous, and mindful of others in the Midwest.

That’s fine. The idea is that one should not go empty-handed. Either Hostess gift OR party gift/ contribution like what you bring is fine.

I’m from a New England family and I grew up that if you go to someone’s house for a party, you bring something but not every damn time you go to their house. My DH’s middle class Midwest relatives are always giving us and our kids gifts and while nice, is completely unnecessary and usually crap we don’t need.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

I'm 60 and knew not to flush them when I was 20. I recall every single plumber back in the day warning us about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Heard a news report that guerillas were attacking people in a south american country. Asked my mom, "why would gorillas be attacking people"?

This made me think of the old movie
Captain Ron!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyG0G96UB6k

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t know the song “Midnight Train to Georgia” was about sex until today. DH won’t stop laughing.

That doesn’t make any sense at all. There’s nothing the least bit suggestive in the lyrics. Somebody’s either pulling your leg, or that song happened to be playing in the background when they lost their virginity or something like that.

That husband is an idiot.

Dave Chapelle special on Netflix.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

I'm 60 and knew not to flush them when I was 20. I recall every single plumber back in the day warning us about it.

I use a menstrual cup so it no longer applies to me but I thought the whole point of tampons was to flush them

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am 43.
A couple years ago my friend mentioned 4/20 and lo and behold - I had no idea what it was!

I'm 54, and only figured that out about 4-5 years ago. I don't partake, never have - so that's likely why. Not condemning those who do partake, btw.

I grew up in another country, so I guess that’s why. I have tried it when I was young though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many people don't like their parents. This was a new one for me.

Me too! Thanks to DCUM I found out how many dysfunctional families are there. My family is not perfect, but we love each other to death. I am in my 40s and adore my parents. I can't imaging having it another way.

It has nothing to do with this area. There are forums and support groups all over the place. Go check out some neighborhood or city data forums in any city in North America and you'll find the same complaints and problems with family. A few of you on these posts are clearly uneducated shut-ins who have never experienced life outside of Glen Burnie.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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

Isn’t this just done when one is hosting a party?

No. When someone invites us over, we take a bottle of wine, a six pack of beer, some cookies, whatever. My DD has a friend who brings over a snack every time they have a playdate, I think it's great of her parents to teach her such good manners at an early age, we've started doing it too - either a snack or a craft.

I grew up solidly middle class and our family friends were of a varied socioeconomic group, this was always the case. I grew up in the midwest, so perhaps that's why. In my opinion, people are more polite, generous, and mindful of others in the Midwest.

I grew up poor in the south and we knew never to visit someone empty handed. I have several friends from Ct and NYC who were raised the same. My inlaws from NJ are cheap moochers. They know better but are always looking to get others to provide for them.