# Another "how could anyone not know that?" thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 8, 2003, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-how-could-anyone-not-know-that-thread/212056 "2003-11-08T07:38:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2003, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-how-could-anyone-not-know-that-thread/212056/81 "2003-11-11T18:31:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Usram \* > \*\*You mean he didn’t know what you meant by a IV chord, or he didn’t know about the ubiquitous I-IV-V progression? \*\* I don’t remember exactly but he was showing me a new song that was going I-IV-I-IV. . . and I must have said something like “I keep waiting to resolve to the V” and he looked at me like I had just said “Chicken carpet dopplegangers”. I was like, “You know, I-IV-V. Rock and Roll. Blues. Country.” and that was interpreted as “Mully wully two by four”. And then I quit. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2003, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-how-could-anyone-not-know-that-thread/212056/82 "2003-11-11T18:49:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by friedo \* > \*\* > One of my friends was telling me that he was going on a white water rafting trip, and how he was looking forward to all the rapids. So I jocularly replied, “Well, look out for the rocks!” > > “What do you mean _rocks_?” > > I eventually learned he had no idea that rapids were caused by water going over steep rocks. I think he just thought that the water decided to have a party every once in a while. \*\* Well, actually, you can get whitewater without the rocks. All you need is sufficient water flow and a gradient, and it does decide to party. I’ve been in non-technical whitewater that was still pretty challenging just because of the standing waves. But yeah, you can pretty much assume that rocks will play a big part in any whitewater expedition. ---
**Author:** ![Hubajube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c37758/32.png) [@Hubajube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hubajube)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2003, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-how-could-anyone-not-know-that-thread/212056/83 "2003-11-11T19:47:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Johnny L.A. \* > \*\*Soles of the feet and palms of the hands. \*\* Correct. Please pick the next category. ---
**Author:** ![Hubajube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c37758/32.png) [@Hubajube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hubajube)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2003, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-how-could-anyone-not-know-that-thread/212056/84 "2003-11-11T19:48:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by velvetjones \* > \*\ ***Hubajube** that was hilarious. The best one so far. I can’t believe that the studio audience didn’t laugh. \*\* I think it was a shocked silence. After that brief smirking pause of his when he waits for the audience to laugh, Alex moved along very quickly. ---
**Author:** ![sugaree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@sugaree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sugaree)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2003, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-how-could-anyone-not-know-that-thread/212056/85 "2003-11-11T20:10:49Z")
I had a huge argument with my mom. She thought that since French is spoken in France, Italian in Italy, and Spanish in Spain, Luxumbourgian must be spoken in Luxumbourg, Austrian in Austria, and Swiss in Switzerland. And, I presume, Indian in India and Ivory Coastish in the Ivory Coast. This was before the big post-communism rearrangement of Eastern Europe and the former USSR, so that may have made her think a little, but I am afraid to bring up the subject again. I took an upper-level class in Victorian literature. On the first day, the instructor asked the class exactly when the Victorian period was-- and different idiots sprinkled throughout the room answered back everything from the 15th century to pre-1950. He gave the class the correct dates and asked for the names of British Victorian novelists. He got back everyone from Shakespeare to Robert Frost. I believe that everyone should have a certain rough knowledge of history to begin with, and this was an upper-level class of English and history majors. They had already taken their survey literature classes and world history classes, and they were left without even the desultory curiosity that would inspire them to google “Victorian era” when they considered taking the class. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2003, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-how-could-anyone-not-know-that-thread/212056/86 "2003-11-11T21:14:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Johnny L.A. \* > \*\*Soles of the feet and palms of the hands. \*\* You mean you _can’t_ grow hair on the palms of your hands??? Damn, I’ve got some catching up to do! **grabs latest Maxim Magazine and lotion and heads off to bathroom** ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2003, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-how-could-anyone-not-know-that-thread/212056/87 "2003-11-11T21:34:43Z")
I have to indict myself: Back in high school, I went with my best bud and his folks up to Newport, RI for a weekend. We walked into some little delicatessen, and my bud’s mom said, “Hey **Trip** , I’ll spot us for lunch today. What kind of sandwich do you want?” I was utterly dumbfounded. In my (at the time) 17+ years of existence, I had no idea delis did that sort of thing. Never really having been in one before, I thought it was just like a little convenience store or something, not an entire industry based on cold cuts. . . :smack: But then again, I still think “Puff the Magic Dragon” is really about a magical dragon that lives by the sea. Tripler And for the past 9 years, I’ve felt like a better man ever since. ---
**Author:** ![velvetjones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5f9b8f/32.png) [@velvetjones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velvetjones)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2003, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-how-could-anyone-not-know-that-thread/212056/88 "2003-11-11T21:37:18Z")
hijack **Hubajube** that’s the very first time I’ve ever been quoted on this (or any other) message board. I feel so special. end hijack ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2003, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-how-could-anyone-not-know-that-thread/212056/89 "2003-11-11T23:40:06Z")
> [@](#): > > This was before the big post-communism rearrangement of Eastern Europe and the former USSR, so that may have made her think a little, but I am afraid to bring up the subject again. After seeing the trouble the Czechs and the Slovaks had trying to split their language in half, you’d think the Yugoslavians would have known better. But no, they had to break up their country and now everyone’s only got one sixth of a language. That’s the real reason for the ongoing struggles there; they’re not fighting for religious or ethnic reasons, they’re just trying to steal some extra nouns and verbs. ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-how-could-anyone-not-know-that-thread/212056/90 "2003-11-12T00:24:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Hubajube \* > > > [@](#): > > > > _Originally posted by Johnny L.A._ > > Soles of the feet and palms of the hands. > > Correct. Please pick the next category. In fairness, it was a pretty stupid _question_ too. There are more than two places where hair doesn’t grow – the lips for instance. I’m sure you can think of several more. ---
**Author:** ![Merla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Merla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merla)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-how-could-anyone-not-know-that-thread/212056/91 "2003-11-12T01:00:09Z")
I have a ton of these but can only remember a few: first, my biggest pet peeve in the entire world is when people mix up “your” and “you’re”. For instance, they (most often college age and above) will say “I know your all excited” ARG! How could you graduate from high school without knowing the difference!? Being a marine science major I also get annoyed when people mix up what is to me common knowledge, like saying squid are fish. Once I was drawing pictures for a little girl (out of sheer boredom) and drew a whale. The girl then asked me to draw a fish, and I complied. Then a baby fish. The mother then said to the girl that I had already did that, the whale was the mommy fish and the little fish was the baby fish. I almost slammed my head down on the table out of frustration. I knew in first grade that whales were not fish. Am I wrong in assuming that most people know this? Merla ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-how-could-anyone-not-know-that-thread/212056/92 "2003-11-12T01:01:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by everton \* > \*\*Correct. Please pick the next category. In fairness, it was a pretty stupid _question_ too. There are more than two places where hair doesn’t grow – the lips for instance. I’m sure you can think of several more. \*\* [/QUOTE] The surfaces of the ears [sub]inside is a different story[/sub], the surface of the nose (pores, but no follicles), the surfaces of the eyelids above the lashes . . . That’s about all I can think of right now. . . Tripler I would have beat the snot out of Alex Trebek. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-how-could-anyone-not-know-that-thread/212056/93 "2003-11-12T01:15:09Z")
Ooh! Ooh! I thought of another one! Guy came into my store a few days ago, asked for Corningware. “Why yes, it’s right over here…” “I need flatware.” “Hm…I didn’t know Corningware made flatware…Well…” [Rilchiam stops in front of utensils] “Here’s the flatware, but I don’t see anything by Corningware.” “No, flatware. You know, plates?” :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Hubajube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c37758/32.png) [@Hubajube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hubajube)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-how-could-anyone-not-know-that-thread/212056/94 "2003-11-12T01:44:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tripler \* > \*\*In fairness, it was a pretty stupid _question_ too. There are more than two places where hair doesn’t grow – the lips for instance. I’m sure you can think of several more. \*\* The surfaces of the ears [sub]inside is a different story[/sub], the surface of the nose (pores, but no follicles), the surfaces of the eyelids above the lashes . . . That’s about all I can think of right now. . . Tripler I would have beat the snot out of Alex Trebek. \*\* [/QUOTE] Maybe it was “the two major areas…” Are there really places on your ears that hair can’t grow? Hair accounts for hearing, so it’s grows inside them too. ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-how-could-anyone-not-know-that-thread/212056/95 "2003-11-12T02:33:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Sayeth Hubajube \* > \*\*Maybe it was “the two major areas…” Are there really places on your ears that hair can’t grow? Hair accounts for hearing, so it’s grows inside them too. \*\* Yeah, the outter part (I don’t know what they call it, the “crown”?). [sub]The part sticking out from your head.[/sub] I know hair grows on the inside–hell, look at old geezers. 😃 You get the idea. . . Tripler I’d still like to hip check Alex Trebek, though. . . ---
**Author:** ![Wikkit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c0e974/32.png) [@Wikkit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wikkit)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-how-could-anyone-not-know-that-thread/212056/96 "2003-11-12T02:45:17Z")
My ears are covered in hair. Very short, fine, blonde hair, but it’s still hair. You might want to closely examine yours. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-how-could-anyone-not-know-that-thread/212056/97 "2003-11-12T05:10:22Z")
> [@](#): > > the surface of the nose (pores, but no follicles) Hair does grow on the nose. ---
**Author:** ![Farmwoman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8dc957/32.png) [@Farmwoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmwoman)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-how-could-anyone-not-know-that-thread/212056/98 "2003-11-12T08:00:59Z")
At the risk of sounding insensitive: Mother Theresa’s name came up in a discussion with a group of HS seniors I used to teach. One cocky kid in the back yells out, “Hey, I heard she died a virgin!” Yes, says I. She was a Catholic nun, and likely took a vow of celibacy, but I have no way of knowing if she was a virgin. As the rest of the class giggled (hehe, teacher said virgin) I noted a painfully shy boy in the back getting more agitated by the moment…picking his lip, pushing his fingers through his hair. Finally, his hand shoots up. “Question?” “Yeah…um…You can _die_ from that?” ---
**Author:** ![sugaree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@sugaree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sugaree)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-how-could-anyone-not-know-that-thread/212056/99 "2003-11-12T12:41:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Little Nemo \* > \*\*After seeing the trouble the Czechs and the Slovaks had trying to split their language in half, you’d think the Yugoslavians would have known better. But no, they had to break up their country and now everyone’s only got one sixth of a language. That’s the real reason for the ongoing struggles there; they’re not fighting for religious or ethnic reasons, they’re just trying to steal some extra nouns and verbs. \*\* BWAHHAAHAHA! I suppose the new six countries are forced to speak, respectively, the trunciated languages of Yu, Go, Sl, Av, Ia, and N. I have down all over my nose and outer ears, so short and fine I can only make it out in profile against a dark background. If I look, the hair on my ears is just barely visible against my dark hair; were I a blonde, I would not be able to see the down at all. ---
**Author:** ![todd33rpm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a5b964/32.png) [@todd33rpm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/todd33rpm)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-how-could-anyone-not-know-that-thread/212056/100 "2003-11-12T12:41:59Z")
The chicken crossing the road… Hmm. That’s what I get for reading a biography of Harry Houdini when I was in third grade. I thought “the other side” in the joke’s answer meant something a little more cosmic…as in, “to get to the Great Beyond.” Always thought it was a pretty dark joke, what with the chicken trying to get hit by a car in order to make it to the next world. I just outed myself, didn’t I? Damn. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-how-could-anyone-not-know-that-thread/212056.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-how-could-anyone-not-know-that-thread/212056.md?page=6)