# Amazingly stupid things overheard **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 28, 2011, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazingly-stupid-things-overheard/607599 "2011-12-28T04:33:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 18
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2012, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazingly-stupid-things-overheard/607599/341 "2012-01-13T17:35:53Z")
Found one–Arkansas City/Kansas City. But that’s pretty boring. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2012, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazingly-stupid-things-overheard/607599/342 "2012-01-13T17:40:42Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > … > > But what state is New England in? The State of Confusion, it seems. ---
**Author:** ![zagloba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/977dab/32.png) [@zagloba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zagloba)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2012, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazingly-stupid-things-overheard/607599/343 "2012-01-13T22:02:55Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > Found one–Arkansas City/Kansas City. But that’s pretty boring. Texarkana TX and Texarkana AR Calexico CA and Mexicali Mexico There’s also a Lake Texoma ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2012, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazingly-stupid-things-overheard/607599/344 "2012-01-13T23:49:30Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > In Detroit? Leaves don’t turn colors in Ohio? > [@FairyChatMom](#): > > Detroit is in Ohio??? > > 😛 I give you [Detroit, Texas](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detroit,_Texas). ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2012, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazingly-stupid-things-overheard/607599/345 "2012-01-13T23:55:12Z")
> [@Moonlitherial](#): > > Detroit is in Ohio? No, but [Delaware](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delaware,_Ohio) is in Ohio. President Rutherford Hayes was born in Delaware, at [this petrol station](http://www.flickr.com/photos/75905404@N00/5598104816/). ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2012, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazingly-stupid-things-overheard/607599/346 "2012-01-13T23:57:23Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Sorry, my mistake. Ohio is in New Jersey. > > But what state is New England in? [NSW](http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_England_(New_South_Wales)), of course. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazingly-stupid-things-overheard/607599/347 "2012-01-14T00:23:40Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Sorry, my mistake. Ohio is in New Jersey. > > But what state is New England in? I used to think New England was a state - it was this board that enlightened me. The worst of it is that I could name all the real states and knew how many states there were, yet somehow in my mind that didn’t contradict New England being a state. It’s referred to so often in the media. Perhaps I was confused by Washington DC not being in any state at all, let alone Washington, so my brain either decided that ‘states’ weren’t that straighforward, or it went _blureghlgahpffyt_ at the contradictory information. ---
**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazingly-stupid-things-overheard/607599/348 "2012-01-14T00:29:00Z")
I once overheard two Americans asking a German guy they were with, “Do you have July 4th in Germany?” ---
**Author:** ![brittekland](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@brittekland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brittekland)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazingly-stupid-things-overheard/607599/349 "2012-01-14T00:30:29Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > what state is New England in? To be… or Not to be… Tebowed. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazingly-stupid-things-overheard/607599/350 "2012-01-14T00:32:35Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > Except that she was already buying two half-gallons. I do the same thing, buy two half gallons. A full gallon tends to go off before we can use it all, but the second half gallon stays fresher, unopened. I don’t freeze it though. Just tuck it in the way back and t says fresh. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazingly-stupid-things-overheard/607599/351 "2012-01-14T00:51:06Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > I give you [Detroit, Texas](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detroit,_Texas). Ha! I counter with Paris, Arkansas, Berlin, Arkansas and Stuttgart, Arkansas. There us a Little Rock, California. ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazingly-stupid-things-overheard/607599/352 "2012-01-14T01:35:58Z")
> [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > I was greatly amused by the idea that someone would try to explain a (Mexican) tortilla to me as “like a crepe”. That is stupid. Clearly it’s more like lefse. ---
**Author:** ![Soylent\_Juicy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Soylent\_Juicy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Juicy)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazingly-stupid-things-overheard/607599/353 "2012-01-14T01:40:04Z")
We actually kept a list of “Stupid Customer Comments” when I worked at a Pet Store. Among the usual: “That puppy is having a SEIZURE! It’s _dying_!!” Um, no. It’s asleep and dreaming. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazingly-stupid-things-overheard/607599/354 "2012-01-14T23:16:10Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Ha! I counter with Paris, Arkansas, Berlin, Arkansas and Stuttgart, Arkansas. > > There us a Little Rock, California. Ha! You think you’re the only one with a fancy-pants Paris. Texas has one. I hear France has one. There’s a New Berlin Texas, obviously better since it’s not old. Stuttgart, check. And don’t forget Odessa! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazingly-stupid-things-overheard/607599/355 "2012-01-14T23:26:19Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Ha! You think you’re the only one with a fancy-pants Paris. Texas has one. I hear France has one. There’s a New Berlin Texas, obviously better since it’s not old. Stuttgart, check. And don’t forget Odessa! 😉 Paris Ontario as well. Kitchener Ontario used to be Berlin. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2012, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazingly-stupid-things-overheard/607599/356 "2012-01-14T23:42:54Z")
> [@Canadjun](#): > > Paris Ontario as well. Kitchener Ontario used to be Berlin. And you have an Odessa too. ---
**Author:** ![RoeCocoa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7feea3/32.png) [@RoeCocoa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RoeCocoa)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazingly-stupid-things-overheard/607599/357 "2012-01-15T01:54:08Z")
“When I was growing up, we couldn’t be prejudiced, because there weren’t any black people.” Do I win? ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazingly-stupid-things-overheard/607599/358 "2012-01-15T02:32:13Z")
> [@RoeCocoa](#): > > “When I was growing up, we couldn’t be prejudiced, because there weren’t any black people.” > > Do I win? No, that makes a weird kind of sense. ---
**Author:** ![YoDoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e68b1a/32.png) [@YoDoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YoDoc)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazingly-stupid-things-overheard/607599/359 "2012-01-15T02:35:01Z")
Indiana has a Mexico, a Peru, a Mecca, and an Annapolis… and those are just ones I’ve been to! ---
**Author:** ![booklover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@booklover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/booklover)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazingly-stupid-things-overheard/607599/360 "2012-01-15T02:43:16Z")
Continuing the geography theme: We recently moved from College Park to Takoma Park (Maryland) which is near Washington, DC. My partner’s family is all California-based and a couple of them expressed dismay upon realizing that Takoma Park, MD and Tacoma, WA are nowhere near each other. :smack: My FIL and his girlfriend visited us in early November and went to NYC on one of the cut-rate buses. Despite our advice, they didn’t book return-trip tickets beforehand. My FIL expressed amazement when they finally made it back: “What the hell were all those people traveling for? I never knew there were so many damn people in New York!” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazingly-stupid-things-overheard/607599.md?page=17) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazingly-stupid-things-overheard/607599.md?page=19)