to ask you how many states you think there are in the USA?

[MuttonWasAGoose]

I was just in a grocery store and this (loud) employee was talking to another employee about how stupid he thought the USA was. Whatever. Not my business. But then he said "Well, there are 52 different states and then the Federal government..." Since I was standing one foot away from him I said, "Actually, there are 50 states."

(Yes, I know that I was butting into a conversation and for that I WBVU.)

He looked at me with disdain (probably because I butted in, so understandable). Then he said very snarkily, "No, there are FIFTY TWO states!" He said it in a tone that implied that I was very stupid. Perhaps he assumed that someone with an American accent should know better.

I said, "Well, Alaskans talk about 'the lower 48' and then you add Hawaii that's fifty." and he just snapped, "You are mistaken!"

I figured arguing with strangers in a supermarket would only compound my idiocy for having butted in. What was I going to do, whip out my phone and Google it or something?

But I got home and Googled "how many states are there" because I wondered how commonly people thought this... and it turns out there are a LOT. Hundreds of people insisting they were taught that there were 52, and dozens more saying they thought it was 51. Mostly from people outside the US, but some from within. This may be down to confusion over Puerto Rico and Washington DC.

I have lived here ten years and I honestly have no idea how many MPs there are. I also don't know how many states are in Mexico or provinces in Canada. I wouldn't expect foreigners to know, but I'm curious - if you have ever been told how many states there are, what number was it?

[CheerfulYank]

There are definitely 50 here :)

And ten Canadian provinces. Billy And Sally Made Our Queen Nervous Playing Near Needles= British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia.

[WeShouldOpenABar]

I always thought the misconception comes from a basic maths issue,

you know in your head its 50 then you also know that hawaii and alaska joined late so you add them on and get to 52 even though they are already counted in the 50, Hawaii 5-0 innit

[NinjaLeprechaun]

"And ten Canadian provinces."
Plus three territories - Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. They're properly part of Canada, unlike US territories.
(Also, they changed the province name from Newfoundland to Newfoundland and Labrador a few years ago. )

[SenecaFalls]

I am presently studying up on Canadian provinces to decide where to move to in case Donald Trump is elected president. I'm leaning toward Nova Scotia.

[CheerfulYank]

Yes I know there are territories but I haven't learned the mnemonic for them yet :o

Seneca I'm going with PEI if they'll have me.

[SenecaFalls]

Oh good, Cheerful. PEI is lovely, too. [maple leaf emoticon]

[NinjaLeprechaun]

I've never heard that (or any) mnemonic for the provinces/territories, I just have them memorized.

When my parents decided to emigrate from England to the US they nearly went to Canada instead, and I'm so annoyed that they didn't.

[WhatchaMaCalllit]

There is actually 46 states and 4 Commonwealths (learned that from QI so I did) :)

[SenecaFalls]

Commonwealth has no legal significance, however. Kentucky, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts are still states.

[DoreenLethal]

I'd never heard of the song by The The.

Steve Lamac just played it. He must be a mumsnetter, surely?

[originalmavis]

Really? I haven't heard it since vinyl!

[hedgehogsdontbite]

I'm all discombobulated by this thread. I know there are 50 states, what with Britain sometimes being referred to as the 51st state. But my first answer was 52 and my brain won't accept 50 as the right answer even though I know it to be true.

[riverboat1]

I used to be able to name all 50 states - for some reason I just decided to memorise them one day. I can still recite most of them, alphabetically, but I always miss out one or two M states...there are so many of them.

I find it quite therapeutic to recite the list in my head while swimming lengths...

[Tink06]

I thought 52.

[HopeClearwater]

52 weeks in the year. 52 cards in the pack. Maybe people get mixed up with these ?

[UterusUterusGhali]

I thought 52.

I don't know how many counties in the uk.