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Original poster

OMG I'm thick as mince

447 replies

OopsInamechangedagain · 21/12/2018 20:43

I was just doing an online trivia quiz and one of the answers mentioned that zebra crossings are so-called because the black and white stripes resemble a zebra's coat. I can't believe that not once in my 40-odd years on this planet did I twig the connection!

What else have I missed...? Confused

OP posts:
Thread gallery
8
Callaird · 22/12/2018 23:59

ChesseyFL - Portsmouth is a city on Portsea island. Portsmouth is not an island.

I lived on portsea island for 8 years before realising is was an island!

SuspiciouslyMinded · 23/12/2018 00:04

My friend, in her thirties, was shocked when she realised that raisins were just dried grapes. She’d thought all her life they grew on raisin trees.

canonlyhopexo · 23/12/2018 00:09

Never realised the Jack and Rose element to titanic wasn't real. Assumed the whole thing was a complete true story!

GoodHeavensNoImAChicken · 23/12/2018 00:14

I didn’t know all cows are female Grin

Rafabella · 23/12/2018 00:23

Seriously, Adam Ant was adamant? I was too busy admiring his straight white teeth to notice! I guess I am thick!!

Rafabella · 23/12/2018 00:30

Missingstreetlife - I can help you on the mince front! Traditionally, yes mince is thick, sitting in a lovely gooey gravy. Mincing your words comes from making mince from solid cuts of beef where you pushed the beef through a large, heavy, bolt on the side of the table mincer (turning a wheel to get mince at the other end). Idea is that you have perfect vocabulary (solid beef) and you end up churning out a poorly articulated mess (the mince). Smile

storynanny · 23/12/2018 00:31

I’ve only just found out ( aged 62) that the Guterman threads I’ve used for years for sewing, have a screw off bit one end to store needles. Fascinating, not.

Rafabella · 23/12/2018 00:34

@riderwhiteswan. Me too!!

SmokeAndBone · 23/12/2018 00:52

I once rushed to the toilet as the ferry approached port. I thought it was like being in a train, when you can't go for a wee when it's in the station. Confused

Rafabella · 23/12/2018 00:57

@storynanny - I had no earthly idea about that! I've been using them for years too!! Will check that out. Smile

MulticolourMophead · 23/12/2018 00:57

The petrol thing: a lot of older cars have the arrow pointing the other way, at least one of my previous cars did. It was originally a bit of an urban myth, but it's actually a useful idea, so I think manufacturers have taken it up anyway. A case of fact following fiction.

And there's more than one tune for the Alphabet song. I grew up with another tune and didn't know until I was at least in my 20s that you could sing it to the Twinkle Twinkle tune.

Drogosnextwife · 23/12/2018 00:59

I only just realise (on my own, which I am a little ashamed to admit I'm quite proud of) why it's called a qwerty keyboard! I am also thick as mince!

Rafabella · 23/12/2018 01:01

My friend was telling me recently that she took her little daughter to the organic dairy farm we have just outside our town. She was standing looking through the large glass window at the cows all being milked. Another little girl turned to her own mum and asked if one particularly cute cow was a girl or a boy, to which her mum replied 'I don't know sweetheart'. My friend felt obliged to point out the obvious!!

OkPedro · 23/12/2018 01:04

All cows are female? Eh?!

charis · 23/12/2018 01:06

Thanks to this thread, specifically the man who thought all women have periods at the same time, I've realised I am entirely ignorant of the male body.

I know sperm are made afresh etc etc but where do the old ones go? Xmas Confused It's only taken me forty seven years to question this Gin

italiancortado · 23/12/2018 01:06

?? Why the Eh?

Cows ARE female

Rafabella · 23/12/2018 01:13

@chachaboom,😂😂😂😂😂. Me too!!!

Rafabella · 23/12/2018 01:19

@okpedro 😂😂😂. Yes, please go and see if you can find a 'male, cow. When you find 'him', please do try and milk him. Let us know how you get on with that!!

OkPedro · 23/12/2018 01:21

I know that Italian :-)

OkPedro · 23/12/2018 01:24

Thanks rafa I know that but I was badly questioning another poster who was asking :-)

Rafabella · 23/12/2018 01:29

Sorry @OkPedro !! I didn't spot the earlier poster's comments. There are so many!!

Maryjoyce · 23/12/2018 01:41

Only reason I knew about Holland is I was told off by a lady when I sent her a letter and wrote Holland on it !

Maryjoyce · 23/12/2018 01:45

My friend recently asked me which palm tree grew pineapples lol

Worker29 · 23/12/2018 01:56

Only last week..I thought it was " to you and your king, we wish you a merry Christmas"
It was seeing the children signing, I realised." To you and your kin"
Very embarrassedBlush

safariboot · 23/12/2018 02:06

I only found out that "This little piggy went to market" possibly means the piggy's being slaughtered from MN. And I only found out that "Grimmauld Place" is a pun and "Axl Rose" an anagram from this thread!

Regarding Diagon Alley, I don't think the pun is explicitly stated in the books. It's made clearer in the movie by having Harry say "diagonally" into the Floo.