# ...and did you know that "gullible" is in the dictionary twice? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 24, 2005, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-did-you-know-that-gullible-is-in-the-dictionary-twice/309705 "2005-06-24T18:17:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cruel\_butterfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5daacb/32.png) [@cruel\_butterfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cruel_butterfly)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2005, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-did-you-know-that-gullible-is-in-the-dictionary-twice/309705/1 "2005-06-24T18:17:18Z")
My husband came running into the bedroom the other night after downloading his email. My brother-in-law or his wife had sent us this warning about crazy people taping hypodermic needles loaded with HIV to gas pump handles in the hopes that they could infect thousands of people. My husband says to me, “We need to forward this as soon as possible!” So I go to Snopes and enter “hypodermic needles gas pumps”, and up pops the same email (word for word). It is noted as false. As my husband continues to talk about how scary it is that people would actually tape needles to gas pumps blah blah blah…I draw his attention to the website and let him read it for himself. “So it’s not true?” he says. “No, honey,” I reply. Here’s the kicker: he seemed actually insulted that I had gone to any kind of lengths to prove that it was untrue. This got me wondering about what would happen if I sent Snopes cites back to people who send me all those warnings and boycotts and such. Why would a person get offended because something that _someone else_ made up wasn’t true? ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2005, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-did-you-know-that-gullible-is-in-the-dictionary-twice/309705/2 "2005-06-24T18:29:30Z")
> [@cruel butterfly](#): > > Why would a person get offended because something that _someone else_ made up wasn’t true? \*\*What people love: \*\* Warning others about the terrible dangers lurking around every corner. **What people hate:** Being shown that they’re wrong, even if being wrong is a _good thing_ in that particular case. **Conclusion:** People, on occasion, are rock-stupid. ---
**Author:** ![harmless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/2acd7d/32.png) [@harmless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmless)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2005, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-did-you-know-that-gullible-is-in-the-dictionary-twice/309705/3 "2005-06-24T18:30:10Z")
I don’t know, but I had almost the exact same thing happen to me. Same story even, but this was back in 97-98, the email claiming it was going on Jacksonville, FL, about 3 hours from here. I hadn’t even heard of Snopes back then, but I did know that you could pull up major city’s newspapers on-line. I pulled up a few Jax papers, searching through them and found nothing. I think I then googled it to see if it turned up anywhere. Yep; Snopes. I replied to the email and sent a link to Snopes with a note, “This doesn’t seem to be true according to here (link). Looks like a good place to research stuff before sending on.” I got back, “Well it _could_ happen so I sent it!” :rolleyes: How to say this…Maybe because they fell for it so easy and they don’t like to think that they are that gullible so they’re insulted to be shown so? [hijack]My best friend in high school fell for that old joke about gullible not being in the dictionary. Twice. She fell for the same exact joke twice. :smack: The second time I was trying to tease her about the first time she fell for it, but she was honestly going for the dictionary. :rolleyes: [/hj] ---
**Author:** ![harmless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/2acd7d/32.png) [@harmless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmless)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2005, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-did-you-know-that-gullible-is-in-the-dictionary-twice/309705/4 "2005-06-24T18:31:12Z")
:smack: What \*\*Hal \*\* said. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2005, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-did-you-know-that-gullible-is-in-the-dictionary-twice/309705/5 "2005-06-24T18:34:43Z")
> [@cruel butterfly](#): > > Why would a person get offended because something that _someone else_ made up wasn’t true? Because they have invested a good part of their credibility in it. I think this is why juries are instructed not to vote at the beginning of deliberations. Once you say something, it’s hard to unsay it. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2005, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-did-you-know-that-gullible-is-in-the-dictionary-twice/309705/6 "2005-06-24T18:37:38Z")
> [@cruel butterfly](#): > > My husband came running into the bedroom the other night after downloading his email. My brother-in-law or his wife had sent us this warning about crazy people taping hypodermic needles loaded with HIV to gas pump handles in the hopes that they could infect thousands of people. My husband says to me, “We need to forward this as soon as possible!” > > So I go to Snopes and enter “hypodermic needles gas pumps”, and up pops the same email (word for word). It is noted as false. As my husband continues to talk about how scary it is that people would actually tape needles to gas pumps blah blah blah…I draw his attention to the website and let him read it for himself. > > “So it’s not true?” he says. > > “No, honey,” I reply. > > Here’s the kicker: he seemed actually insulted that I had gone to any kind of lengths to prove that it was untrue. This got me wondering about what would happen if I sent Snopes cites back to people who send me all those warnings and boycotts and such. Why would a person get offended because something that _someone else_ made up wasn’t true? Where these needles invisible? Were they expecting people to see the needles and inject themselves or were nurses standing by to assist them? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2005, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-did-you-know-that-gullible-is-in-the-dictionary-twice/309705/7 "2005-06-24T18:43:02Z")
Misery likes miserable company. You weren’t feeling dumb for falling for it, but he was, so he wanted to level the playing field by bringing you down to his level of dumbness. Next time, just tell him to go watch Jerry Springer until he calms down. ---
**Author:** ![cruel\_butterfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5daacb/32.png) [@cruel\_butterfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cruel_butterfly)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2005, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-did-you-know-that-gullible-is-in-the-dictionary-twice/309705/8 "2005-06-24T18:43:33Z")
They were supposed to be taped to the underside of the handle so that the unsuspecting person would accidentally get a needle-stick thereby infecting him- or herself with the dreaded virus… ---
**Author:** ![ioioio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ioioio/32/316_2.png) [@ioioio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ioioio)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2005, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-did-you-know-that-gullible-is-in-the-dictionary-twice/309705/9 "2005-06-24T20:01:40Z")
I’ve noticed that people who don’t get the “gullible” joke right away _never_ get it, no matter how often and how carefully it’s explained to them. You can explain it to them repeatedly, and they’ll say repeatedly, “But I looked it up, and it’s only there once”. What usually happens is that the joke keeps seeming funnier and funnier to those who get it, and the non-getter starts getting angry because everyone is laughing at her/him. It usually gets pretty ugly, but I continue to pull the joke at every opportunity. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2005, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-did-you-know-that-gullible-is-in-the-dictionary-twice/309705/10 "2005-06-24T20:08:57Z")
> [@laina\_f](#): > > I’ve noticed that people who don’t get the “gullible” joke right away _never_ get it, no matter how often and how carefully it’s explained to them. You can explain it to them repeatedly, and they’ll say repeatedly, “But I looked it up, and it’s only there once”. What usually happens is that the joke keeps seeming funnier and funnier to those who get it, and the non-getter starts getting angry because everyone is laughing at her/him. It usually gets pretty ugly, but I continue to pull the joke at every opportunity. Hijack, but kinda not. Ok, it is. For one of my classes we went out to the flightline (where the planes are) and we were looking at a MH-53 helocopter. I said something stupid, like I usually do, and someone told me, “You’d probaly believe it if I told you the word ‘gullible’ is written on the wing.” Me: “It is?” I looked up then realilzed what I did. “Damn.” End hijack ---
**Author:** ![harmless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/2acd7d/32.png) [@harmless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmless)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2005, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-did-you-know-that-gullible-is-in-the-dictionary-twice/309705/11 "2005-06-24T20:49:36Z")
[hijack]I’ve never heard the joke that way. I’ve always heard it: Did you know gullible isn’t a real word? It’s just a bit of slang that’s become real common, but if you check the dictionary it’s not even listed.[/hj] ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2005, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-did-you-know-that-gullible-is-in-the-dictionary-twice/309705/12 "2005-06-24T20:57:41Z")
Yep, I’ve heard “Gullible isn’t in the dictionary.” Knowing the joke, I’ll usually reply, “YES, it is!” Run off, get the dictionary… Bring it back to the person and say, “Huh. You were right. It isn’t.” It usually works surprisingly well. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2005, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-did-you-know-that-gullible-is-in-the-dictionary-twice/309705/13 "2005-06-24T21:05:57Z")
**Cruel Butterfly** Ha Ha - the joke’s on you. “Gullible” is in the dictionary just _once_. And don’t think I looked at one dictionary. Oh no - I looked at _several_ and I even checked out _several online_ dictionary sources. Each of the online dictionaries had just one entry for the word “gullible”. Well I hope that teaches you a lesson in researching a topic more thoroughly. 😃 About that E-Mail I 've heard that if you forward it to as many people as possible, Bill Gates will give each recipient AND each sender $100 per E-Mail. It will also assist in saving the life of the little girl stricken with cancer in Cedar Rapids. I’d write more but I have to send my bank account number to this guy in Nigeria and I will soon be the recipient of millions of dollars !!! We’re in the money, we’re in the money … ---
**Author:** ![harmless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/2acd7d/32.png) [@harmless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmless)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2005, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-did-you-know-that-gullible-is-in-the-dictionary-twice/309705/14 "2005-06-24T21:14:45Z")
> [@wolf\_meister](#): > > I’d write more but I have to send my bank account number to this guy in Nigeria and I will soon be the recipient of millions of dollars !!! No fair. _I’m_ supposed to be the only living survivor. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2005, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-did-you-know-that-gullible-is-in-the-dictionary-twice/309705/15 "2005-06-24T21:40:02Z")
My sister-in-law sent us some legendary e-mail fwd. After I looked it up and sent her the link to Snopes, she e-mailed back, “How do you know Snopes is telling the truth?” :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Liz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/liz/32/17737_2.png) [@Liz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liz)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2005, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-did-you-know-that-gullible-is-in-the-dictionary-twice/309705/16 "2005-06-24T23:03:36Z")
> [@harmless](#): > > No fair. > _I’m_ supposed to be the only living survivor. ☹ Back off, sister, that safety deposit box full of diamonds is **mine**! :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Susie\_Derkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47774/32.png) [@Susie\_Derkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susie_Derkins)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2005, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-did-you-know-that-gullible-is-in-the-dictionary-twice/309705/17 "2005-06-24T23:23:10Z")
> [@harmless](#): > > _I’m_ supposed to be the only living survivor. ☹ As opposed to all those dead survivors? 😉 Back in '99, someone at the factory where I used to work got this email, printed it out, and posted it on all the bulletin boards in the building. I went to [snopes.com](http://snopes.com) and printed out the page refuting it. I didn’t hang it on the boards, just showed it to a few people in my department. They were less than grateful for the information. Whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Liz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/liz/32/17737_2.png) [@Liz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liz)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2005, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-did-you-know-that-gullible-is-in-the-dictionary-twice/309705/18 "2005-06-24T23:29:51Z")
> [@Susie Derkins](#): > > Back in '99, someone at the factory where I used to work got this email, printed it out, and posted it on all the bulletin boards in the building. I went to [snopes.com](http://snopes.com) and printed out the page refuting it. I didn’t hang it on the boards, just showed it to a few people in my department. They were less than grateful for the information. Whatever. Mhm. Whenever that bullshit e-mail about “omgbbq 9/11 was predicted in the Koran!!!11” was going around, I snoped it and e-mailed the link to my wife’s friend, who had sent the original to her. Her response? “I liked it better the other way.” :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Odinoneeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@Odinoneeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odinoneeye)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2005, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-did-you-know-that-gullible-is-in-the-dictionary-twice/309705/19 "2005-06-25T00:02:15Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > My sister-in-law sent us some legendary e-mail fwd. After I looked it up and sent her the link to Snopes, she e-mailed back, “How do you know Snopes is telling the truth?” :smack: That’s the response I always get. ---
**Author:** ![Nic2004](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/4491bb/32.png) [@Nic2004](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nic2004)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2005, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-did-you-know-that-gullible-is-in-the-dictionary-twice/309705/20 "2005-06-25T00:25:58Z")
> [@wolf\_meister](#): > > **Cruel Butterfly** > Ha Ha - the joke’s on you. “Gullible” is in the dictionary just _once_. And don’t think I looked at one dictionary. Oh no - I looked at _several_ and I even checked out _several online_ dictionary sources. Each of the online dictionaries had just one entry for the word “gullible”. Well I hope that teaches you a lesson in researching a topic more thoroughly. 😃 > > About that E-Mail I 've heard that if you forward it to as many people as possible, Bill Gates will give each recipient AND each sender $100 per E-Mail. It will also assist in saving the life of the little girl stricken with cancer in Cedar Rapids. > > I’d write more but I have to send my bank account number to this guy in Nigeria and I will soon be the recipient of millions of dollars !!! > > We’re in the money, we’re in the money … _Swimming Pools… Movie Stars!_ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-did-you-know-that-gullible-is-in-the-dictionary-twice/309705.md?page=2)