Things you assumed and were astonished to find out you were completely wrong

[Cattery]

For example: The Elgin Marbles. Heard these mentioned from time to time over the years. Always pictured marbles; kids’ marbles. Then I heard they were something to do with Greece and I’ve always thought Elgin was there. Got it all completely wrong

That Frank Sinatra was black.

I’m lol

More a lazy not-noticing than an actual assumption, but it only dawned on me relatively recently that Tom's Midnight Garden and The Secret Garden are two entirely separate books.

I thought the exact same as you, OP!

I thought "The Ashes" was something involving the winners covering their face in ash - a cross between Ash Wednesday crosses on foreheads and warpaint. So I thought the winners would smear their face in ashes and roar in victory at the losing team whilst doing a sort of haka.

No. I'd never seen a cricket game in my life.

Harrogate is a seaside resort.

😮😳🤯

Yep. Always get them mixed up

I also always thought the Elgin marbles were giant marbles.

I never realised it was marble as in the type of stone.

Ha ha ha. Snap!

I always thought narwhals were mythical creatures from stories. Only recently learned they actually exist!

I thought the lead singer of KC and the Sunshine Band was black until I saw an old episode of TOTP this year.

I think I was conflating him with Kid Creole.

Billericay is not in Ireland

I always thought ponies were a different animal to a horse.

Nope just a small horse...

I thought the Falkland Islands were just off the coast of Scotland.

Similarly, County Durham is not in Ireland.

Cherries taste delicious.

Noooooo! Ponies are not small horses, the same way as zebras are not stripy horses!!!

I wondered for years why Trotsky was killed with an ice pick in Mexico - why would the have ice picks, for mountain climbing in Mexico where it's hot, and figured a Russian assassin had brought it over from Russia.

Discovered a few years ago that it was a small icepick used to break up ice in a bar.

Genuine question, not being mean … most people hear about them in relation to the Falklands War, so did you think Argentina had invaded Scotland?

I thought bees made the ‘honeycomb’ in crunchies till I was about 30 😂

This is amazing!

Oh! That would make more sense.

(Loving this thread. Although it turns out that I am apparently as dumb as a box of rocks.)

When football scores are announced on being “on aggregate” I thought some weighting / adjustment was being made due to the surface they were playing on, eg “Arsenal beat Man City 2-1 - that’s 5-2 on aggregate”

i didn’t actually think they were playing ON AGGREGATE (ie gravel) but I somehow did think something along those lines.

Tbf, it wasn’t a complete surprise when I discovered the truth!

Same. I'm 52.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/13/trotsky-ice-axe-murder-mexico-city
No. It was an axe.
Not an item used by a bartender.
There is a picture of it in this article.