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

Yes, I did too. I think it's the pont/bridge bit. Similarly, for ages I thought Billericay was in Ireland, as it sounds like an Irish place name to me.

I also used to think that Roy Orbison was blind.

OMG I thought it was just a cartoon character too.

This is one that really made me face palm….

puffer fish. When they inflate it’s not air. It’s water.

I thought Arsene Wenger founded Arsenal Football Club and it was named after him.

I thought mince pies contained minced meat,,raisins and sugar and have refused to eat them ever since I came to the U.K. many years ago

i remember my mother in law trying persuade me to at least try one, and me not being able to bring myself to even try. Asking “why not?” And me saying “it’s just not my thing”, and her saying “but you like raisins! And pastry” “yes but it is the combination I don’t like” “well I don’t know anyone who does not like mince pies, everyone likes mine, I make my own mince meat” me” …ehm sorry I just can’t” 😵‍💫

she then once gave me a jar of the mince pie filling and I remember chucking it quickly in the bin when I got home as it looked like gone off mince with larvae in it 🤢

My husband never explained it wasn’t actually real mince in there. Only found out a few years ago

i still struggle to eat them as my disgust has grown so strong over the years and I do’t “trust” it as a food item 😬

No shame for the 8 year olds - I genuinely thought the channel tunnel was like a tube through the sea (like you get at the sea life centre where you can see the fish?) until I went to France via said tunnel WHEN I WAS THIRTY FOUR

I genuinely thought until well into my 20s that a hamburger was like a beef burger but made from pork 🤣

“Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life’s a custard cream”.

FOR YEARS

Not me but my friend thought islands floated. We were in Venice and she assumed that all the bridges were to help hold them together. She’s a graduate with a very professional job. Aged about 30 at the time.

No. Not Scotland. Just way, way off the coast. Near to Argentina. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Don’t judge. I know now….

I always assumed Edinburgh was in the east of the U.K. as a whole - it’s actually further west than Bristol.

Me too. I learned from the Octonauts

To be slightly fair about the Falkland Islands, there is a place in Fife in Scotland called Falkland. 🤓

To be fair, sounds much more watchable than actual cricket.

Most of mine are due to a shocking lack of geographical knowledge, I can totally relate. I always thought Carlisle was in Wales along with Cumbria. Don't even bother asking me where the Cotswolds are, I've been there too. I do seem to have a bit of an issue with C places.

I always believed that the evil Queen in Snow White (Disney film) said ‘mirror mirror on the wall’. Now, rewatching with my toddler after 20 odd years only to find she actually says ‘magic mirror on the wall’. I rewatched it 4 times as couldn’t believe my ears.

Shit! Is it not. Are you sure?? 😂

Pontefract literally means broken bridge! There’s a Pontypridd in Wales, assume that’s where the confusion occurs?
I thought light sabre in Star Wars was ‘Light Saver’ and that Taylor Swift had a ‘lonely Starbucks lover’. Apparently she’s ‘got a long list of ex lovers’ 😂

I met my ds2's new teacher for the first time this morning. I was surprised that she is black and then shocked/ashamed of myself that I was surprised - I hadn't realised that I'd just unconsciously assumed she would be white. It reminded me that being anti racist is a work in progress and that I do still have unconscious biases.

I used to think Pontefract was in Wales.

I thought Mark Wahlberg and Mark Morrison were the same person. Only found out this year at the ripe old age of 38! Much to DHs amusement 😳

I was musing with my daughter about what we imagined the neighbours houses to look like inside. She told me about one elderly lady and said , oh ‘her house is so old fashioned , it must be , she still pours her poo out of the window like they did in the times of the plague’.
She was pleased when I explained that the jug in a big bowl on the windowsill was just for decoration 😂

I always think the Black Country is Somerset because of Blackthorn cider

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

I'd never heard of them until a couple of months ago.

Same with darlene love!

Pontypool and Pontypridd are in South Wales so it's an understandable confusion with Pontefract. I tell you this to comfort myself because I thought Aberystwyth was in Scotland (like Aberdeen). I work there now, much easier commute since they moved it to Wales.