Ridiculous things you've only recently realised you've been wrong about your entire life

[Seasidedolly]

I genuinely thought if you pulled the reverse cord on ceiling fans, it would circulate warm air.

My friend thought the yellow average speed cameras on motorways were there to look for missing children.

I had another recent revelation but I can't remember it now

I pronounced Tove Jannson all wrong until she died and I heard it read on the news.

I recently found out that it's anchors aweigh not anchors away.

Er...what?????

I was quite grown up before I found out that 'tsk' and 'tut' in books is a stand in for that impatient/irritated tongue click sound we make and isn't actually pronounced tisk or tut if reading out loud.

Until earlier this year I thought that BNWT on eBay meant Brand New Worn Twice (rather than Brand New With Tags, in case anyone else is as dense as I am). Dh thinks it's hilarious and has never let me live it down.

He is baffled as to how I thought someone could prove that they had only worn the item twice. Now, even though I know what it really means I still read it as Brand New Worn Twice on the listings and have to consciously change it in my head.

eh what? how do you pronounce segue then? I thought it was seeg

Also thought that it was 'slip a sleigh bell under the tree'

Love this thread. Particularly 'any veh' which had me in stitches

"real-life people carry guns around in real life. "

Well, it's illegal in many countries isn't it? You're either talking about criminals or people in countries with very liberal gun laws or hunters I suppose.

how do you pronounce segue then?

Segway I believe!

Well, it's illegal in many countries isn't it? You're either talking about criminals or people in countries with very liberal gun laws or hunters I suppose

Or America?

Oh sorry. Yes, America.

And I appreciate its a stupid thing to "realise" as I knew it, but it felt odd to hear from a real regular person who felt it was normal.

thanks pipbin I thought they were two separate words! segway and segue

I also thought when someone "put money on a " in the betting shop that they had rows of plastic horses in there and people literally went in and put money on their backs. I never understood the point of doing that!

I used to think that too! Although I can't remember if I thought there were real horses in there (imagine the stench).

My dh recently pointed out after a dd poop explosion where it went up the back of the vest then I complained that it went in her hair as she moved while I was taking the vest off that why didn't I just unfold the flaps at the shoulders of the vest so it goes down over the nappy.... Did not know that was common knowledge

He knew that?

Blimey

I had 4 kids & only found that out very recently (much too late for me!)

I was quite old when I realised the West Indies are really close to America. :-/ I didn't really know where they were before that, but thought they would be near Africa.

I used to think that the words in a book only appeared when you opened the book ... and used to try and 'catch the book out' by opening it at random times and places very quickly cant believe i just told you that

TreacleFiend Welcome to the peppery fudge club!

I love that, trouble :)

I reckon segue has changed its pronunciation over the years, as old codgers like me all pronounce it 'seeg'. Well, I now pronounce it 'segway' having gone to the trouble of listening to the British English pronunciation.

I'd have been caught out by the passenger-activated escalators too!

My son believed until very recently that windmills were powered by electricity. I didn't realise this until we went past our local one on a still day and he thought it hadn't been switched on...

He's not far off starting A levels.

trouble that sounds like an Open University programme I watched about quantum physics. Apparently a box is empty until you open it and see the contents.

Disclaimer. I'm on the red wine and have no idea what I'm talking about.

Until earlier this year I thought that BNWT on eBay meant Brand New Worn Twice

This gave me the giggles!

Kacie123 - When I went to America on holiday I was very aware of the fact that anyone might have a gun. It was a really odd feeling. I felt very uneasy at points tbh. You never know who you're going to bump into and with the stories of the mass shootings on the news it is scary.

All penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere. It would make sense that you can find them in South Africa. It's below the equator.

All polar bears are in the northern hemisphere. If you ever find one in the opposite side it means a human being took it there.

Debbriana - there are penguins on the Galapogos Islands so some of them live in the northern hemisphere because the islands straddle the equator.

can't do it