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

Ever since I was young I thought that those yellow steering wheel lock things were actually for left handed drivers, I guess I was thinking along the same lines as the yellow left handed scissors in school 😂I was 19 when my boyfriend told me what they really were for.

Same. See also: Michael Stipe from REM

For some reason I and it turned out, my husband, believed that Pineapples grew on trees. When we were in Costa Rica, someone pointed out fields of them. We were both stunned!

Are you my mum?

she calls people twats and tossers thinking they are innocuous terms

My husband didn’t believe me that Sikh police officers can wear a special police issue turban instead of a hat

@RealHousewivesOfTaunton ”the instep is actually on the top of the foot”. No, surely that can’t be true 😮

There's a lovely one of these misunderstandings somewhere in Colette's autobiographical writings. As a child, she was for some reason convinced that a stripey snail is called a presbytery. One day she picked one up & said to her mother, "Come & see this lovely presbytery," & her mother fell about laughing.

This is very outing as it has caused much hilarity amongst friends and family..... my admission that for YEARS (well into my thirties and it was released when I was 9 or so) I thought that the person who created "Together in Electric Dreams" with Phil Oakey was that well known Irish producer Georgie O'Moroder.

I've only recently discovered what the phrase 'let the dog see the rabbit' means. My grandfather used to say it at least once a day when we were kids and I never had a clue what he was on about, but I concluded (wrongly) that it might mean something to do with equality. As in 'don't be narrow-minded, a dog and a rabbit can be the best of friends.' Every time he said it I used to ponder it but never once asked, and for some reason it wasn't at all obvious from the context!

Guerilla vs gorilla - I found news reports of guerilla activity absolutely baffling as a child. So many questions.

Falkland is in Scotland. Lord Falkland was, IIRC, some member of the government and explorers named the islands after him.

There are places all over the world named after the places explorers and colonists cane from, or had an affinity with. Prince of Wales Island is in Alaska. Perth is in Australia. London is in Canada. Wellington is in New Zealand.

However Moscow is in Scotland.

They were too busy having fun.

I think this is a completely reasonable assumption! How many other people called Flintoff do you know of, let alone cricketers?

Whereas some people me confuse people by their first names. And refer to Mel Brooks’ Passion of the Christ.

This someone else's misconception not mine, and I don't intend it in a sneery way, just a bit surprised.

Years ago when living in the UK I went to the local library and asked if they had "Anna Karenina" in one of the branches so it could be sent over. This was before computer systems between libraries existed. Remember the joys of microfiche, anyone?

The librarian wrote down my request and asked for the author's name. I said "Leo Tolstoy" and I saw her write "Leo Tallstory".

It sort of works and I didn't correct her.

This made me chuckle.
The thought of a man with an eye patch and an earring making Jesus walk the plank on the Sea of Galilee!

Well, there is a male playwright called Tracey Letts in the US!

Imagine my surprise when I discovered moleskin trousers are 100% cotton.

Been allowed here in Canada since 1996.

There is bit in Adrian Mole where he tells his dad that Argentina have invaded the Falklands and his Dad totally panics, as he thinks that htey are off the coast of Scotland. They look on the map and eventually track them down (under a spec of his mothers fag ash iirc)! I know where they are because I was 8 when it started and my Uncle was in the Navy there, but younger people may well not have it on their radar.

I heard a radio presenter do exactly this a couple of weeks ago.

You aren't a radio presenter are you?

As a child I used to ‘help’ my mum with the housework. I used to think that the beeswax polish was made from the wax from bees little ears.

It does have a Pier Head though. Top of Montpellier Gardens.

I thought tigers were female lions

Up until 2 minutes ago I thought that pineapples grew on.trees

Pernickety is a word though, so you can keep that one :)