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Original poster

At the age of 52 I have learned...

69 replies

lovelyweathertoday · 16/02/2022 01:11

... that porpoises are very similar to dolphins.

For some reason I thought they were like porcupines. How was I so wrong for so long?!

OP posts:
SirenSays · 16/02/2022 13:39

@AdditionalCharacter

Turtlesq and tortoises are two different animals though *@SirenSays*. One swims, the other doesn't.
They're not, all tortoises are turtles. Look it up 🐢
BessieFinknottle · 16/02/2022 13:48

I did just look it up (also thought they were different, SirenSays)

According to Wikipedia
"In North America, it (the name turtle) may denote the order as a whole. In Britain, the name is used forsea turtlesas opposed to freshwaterterrapinsand heavy-footed, land-dwelling tortoises. In Australia, which lacks true tortoises (family Testudinidae), non-marine turtles were traditionally called tortoises, but more recently turtle has been used for the entire group.

So the naming convention varies with place it seems...

BessieFinknottle · 16/02/2022 13:50

Oops, some of the words have melded together in that quote, don't know how that happened.

forlornlorna · 16/02/2022 13:51

I don't feel so bad about being 50 before I found out limes were not unripe lemons

midsomermurderess · 16/02/2022 14:50

I was older than I should have been before I realised it is avocado not advocado. That sounds like a rather ritzy Scottish lawyer.

Sausagedogsarethebest · 16/02/2022 15:35

[quote Zilla1]@Sausagedogsarethebest how old is he and which species (Hermann's?) Did you have them both from eggs and, if so, when did you realise they were both males?[/quote]
HI @Zilla1

Yes I believe he's a Hermanns. Had him since he was about 7 years old and now - don't know, I've lost count but I reckon about 30. The other tortoise used to belong to my husband when he was a kid. He was about 30 or so years older and unfortunately he died a few years back.

Realised they were both males a few years after getting the younger one. Thought the second one would be company for the other, but never realised male tortoises wouldn't get on together.

Sausagedogsarethebest · 16/02/2022 15:39

A few years ago a friend (50-ish) was stunned when I told her that dandelions (yellow) and dandelion clocks (the white fluffy ones you can blow) were the same thing, but gone to seed. She thought they were different plants/weeds.

hattymattie · 16/02/2022 15:42

I thought hay and straw were the same. Turns out they aren't Grin

AdditionalCharacter · 16/02/2022 15:46

If you referred to it as turtle, I'd assume the water dwelling type.

MrsMingech · 16/02/2022 16:05

@merryhouse

If you think of Alice in Wonderland there's that whole thing of taking a porpoise when you go on a journey because

if you tell someone you're going on a journey they will ask "with what porpoise?"

though I've always pronounced the oi Grin

It was a while (I mean, literally years) before I realised "one and done" was intended to rhyme.

One and done do rhyme...
Zilla1 · 16/02/2022 16:42

@Sausagedogsarethebest He's a handsome chap and looked to have some age to him in the photo. Have seen girls get OK but not boys even if brothers, unfortunately.

Knockoneofftheshelftowin · 16/02/2022 16:57

One = w-on

Won = w-un

Done = d-un

Scone = sc-on

There, all cleared up.
No need to thank me.

MrsMingech · 16/02/2022 20:40

@Knockoneofftheshelftowin

One = w-on

Won = w-un

Done = d-un

Scone = sc-on

There, all cleared up.
No need to thank me.

No.

One = wun

Won = wun

Don = dun

Scone = scon

Sausagedogsarethebest · 16/02/2022 20:47

I agree with MrsMingech, I pronounce Won and One the same, and always have done. Quite honestly I've never heard it pronounced Wun.

AlphabetStew · 16/02/2022 20:58

One = w-on

Won = w-un

Done = d-un

Scone = sc-on
.............................

One = wun

Won = wun

Don = dun

Scone = scon

Actually it's

One = wun

Won = wun

Don = dun

Scone = scoooone

merryhouse · 16/02/2022 23:06

@Twospaniels

It must depend where you come from then

To me, one and won are the same and both rhyme with done.

My dad does speech therapy following a small stroke. One of the t gue twisters is

One-one was a racehorse
Two-two was one too
When one-one won one race
Two-two won one too

The whole point is that one and won are the same, as are two and too of course.

No no nooooo, the whole point of a tongue [to rhyme with song] twister is that it's difficult to say properly. You have to distinguish between one and won, or it's not a tongue-twister Grin
Aroundtheworldin80moves · 16/02/2022 23:17

I only found out recently that Wolverines are a real animal. I thought it was a wolf like comic book character.

Rittersport · 17/02/2022 18:45

11 was a racehorse
22 was 12
1111 race
22112

Clearly this only works for half the population but I have many a happy time at primary school with this. I can't be the only 1? Wink

EdithStourton · 17/02/2022 18:56

In my 50s and I've only just twigged that pink shrimps are meant to taste of strawberries.

They taste nothing like strawberries, so I think I can be forgiven.

Original poster
lovelyweathertoday · 17/02/2022 19:16

You have to distinguish between one and won, or it's not a tongue-twister

But they are homophones in my accent!

OP posts:
Original poster
lovelyweathertoday · 17/02/2022 19:17

Wolverines are a real animal

Really?! I give up Grin

OP posts:
liverpoolnana · 17/02/2022 19:35

As well as the pun in 'Alice' about going on a journey for what 'porpoise', there's another very laboured one in 'Alice' about a tortoise being called a teacher because he 'taught us'. Which wouldn't make any sense unless 'tortoise' was pronounced 'tortuss'..

jmh740 · 17/02/2022 20:00

I was older than I'd like to admit when I realised moses who was left in the basket was the same man who was given the 10 commandments

SpringCalling · 17/02/2022 20:11

@Sausagedogsarethebest now what?! how have I not known that?!

Livpool · 17/02/2022 21:42

@Knockoneofftheshelftowin

One = w-on

Won = w-un

Done = d-un

Scone = sc-on

There, all cleared up.
No need to thank me.

Agreed!