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

Oh no pernickety is definitely a word!

Not that close. 300 miles from the Patagonian coast, and they were uninhabited before the British established their colony there. What amazes me about assuming the Falkland Islands were in Scotland is not just that they aren't, but also Argentina is a long, long way from the UK and doesn't have a huge navy. How could they have sent that navy all the way to Western Europe without the rest of the world getting involved in some way?

@godmum56 the poster was American so I'm assuming they've never had the delight of faggots, chips and peas. My mum emailed my dad at work and mentioned that was their dinner and her email was blocked for profanity 🤣.
Americans are often surprised we call cigarettes fags too.

@Andoutcomethewolves the full Monty is set in Sheffield?

That made me laugh. I definitely don’t live in Ireland.

It still feels wrong that my instep is actually on the top of my foot.

No way!

@loropianalover so did I!

Roy Orbison's dark glasses were his trademark and while he wasn’t blind, he did have poor sight and quite a pronounced squint. He started wearing them because he left his normal glasses on a plane early on in his career and only had his (prescription) sunglasses to hand for a gig and couldn’t see a thing otherwise - the look caught on and became his image.

Oh dear god….. I thought it was a gap in a line of hills somewhere to the north of the M4 around Reading 🫣🫣

I will never be able to accept that Jason Statham is an actor, not a character in a film series. That's exactly the kind of name a screen-writer would give to an "action movie" character who keeps getting blown up and flying into piles of cardboard boxes/oil drums/crates.

I used to think this too when I was wee. Thought it would be like an aquarium 😂

Not just you! When news of the Falklands war broke in 1982,I was at college. A girl in my class said 'Where are the Falkland Islands?' Another girl replied 'Off the coast of Scotland'. Although I have to admit,I didn't honestly know either!

What!!?

Most conquered territories have become independent and are recognised as sovereign nations by the United Nations, but a few places (very small or very poor or both) are still colonies of rich nations - for example, American Samoa and the US Virgin Islands, French overseas territories like Guadeloupe and French Guiana, Tokelau in the Pacific (New Zealand), several Caribbean islands (Netherlands). The UK has lots because of our imperial past. If these places wanted independence they could probably have had it by now, but by remaining as British Overseas Territories they get many benefits they couldn't afford by themselves, as the Falkland Islands have demonstrated. The people who live there aren't Spanish-speaking and trace their origins to the UK. Virtually all of them want to remain British. They have no ties to Argentina at all.

I never knew that!

New Zealand is in Wiltshire

Had a similar experience! Thought a school mum was called Miley (like Miley Cyrus). Turned out she had a husband called Lee who she droned on and on about ("well my Lee says..") so the other mums referred to her as MyLee. Fortunately never spoke to her so didn't call her that to her face!

Love this one!

It is on the east coast of Scotland though

What??? I had never considered that either. I'm 56!!!

What a shitty song to sing to little children :(

If they eat meat, surely it’s not that horrifying?

Jessica fletcher is a character in murder she wrote played by Angela Lansbury.

Sarah Jessica Parker is an actress mostly known for her for playing Carrie Bradshaw in Sex In The City.

Sarah Jessica Parker is very real lol.

So did I!

What?!

I have a preschooler book which has a mythical animal per page. At least, all but one is mythical - along with mermaids, unicorns and dragons they included narwhals! It infuriated me and I sometimes wondered if the author and editor knowingly wrongly included it or genuinely believe it to be mythical.