# Basic facts you learned late in life that you didn't really know. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 19, 2010, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-facts-you-learned-late-in-life-that-you-didnt-really-know/529711 "2010-02-19T23:37:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 17
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-facts-you-learned-late-in-life-that-you-didnt-really-know/529711/321 "2010-03-19T08:23:49Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > I always figured boys would pass around the instructions from tampon boxes as a kind of easy-come-by proto-porn. _raises hand sheepishly_ What? I was 12, OK? And the last generation before internet porn was readily available. Bucket of porn sounds like an adult store sale ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-facts-you-learned-late-in-life-that-you-didnt-really-know/529711/322 "2010-03-19T08:30:53Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > Here is the Straight Dope column on the photo sneeze reflex. I get it but only rarely. > > [Why do some people sneeze when going out into bright light? - The Straight Dope](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/527/why-do-some-people-sneeze-when-going-out-into-bright-light) I do it sometimes too. I don’t think it’s independent of a tickle in the nostril, it just induces the inevitable sooner. ---
**Author:** ![dhkendall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9adbd/32.png) [@dhkendall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dhkendall)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-facts-you-learned-late-in-life-that-you-didnt-really-know/529711/323 "2010-03-19T14:02:06Z")
> [@EvilTOJ](#): > > Bucket of porn sounds like an adult store sale Or a … wait for it … BAND NAME! ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-facts-you-learned-late-in-life-that-you-didnt-really-know/529711/324 "2010-03-19T14:36:07Z")
> [@dhkendall](#): > > Or a … wait for it … BAND NAME! I’m imagining a fusion of Boris the Sprinkler and The Mr. T Experience. ---
**Author:** ![Avarie537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/48db29/32.png) [@Avarie537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avarie537)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-facts-you-learned-late-in-life-that-you-didnt-really-know/529711/325 "2010-03-19T17:52:09Z")
Re: photic sneeze reflex … my mom has this, I have this, my husband has this, both of my boys have this … I said something to my mom one time about “sun sneezes” and how I’ve always had them. She mentioned that my dad always thought it was a crock and that she could just … not sneeze if she really wanted to. The next time I saw my dad, I made sure to talk about the genetic basis for it, and he was totally surprised. He honestly thought it was just some crazy thing my mom did … like on purpose to drive him crazy. (They’re long divorced.) ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2010, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-facts-you-learned-late-in-life-that-you-didnt-really-know/529711/326 "2010-03-20T04:39:43Z")
This may not count as common knowledge, but I always assumed that the USofA was the only country whose leader who travelled around the world in a Boeing 747 of his very own. Turns out that there’s something like 10+ countries that do that, including several middle eastern nations I guess I just assumed that other countries would use somewhat more practical-sized planes, and that we used 747s (well, VC-25s as they are called in the Air Force) just because we could. Guess the same reasoning would work for any country that could afford a 747 to deck out as a ride for a head of state. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2010, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-facts-you-learned-late-in-life-that-you-didnt-really-know/529711/327 "2010-03-20T12:37:07Z")
> [@Raguleader](#): > > This may not count as common knowledge, but I always assumed that the USofA was the only country whose leader who travelled around the world in a Boeing 747 of his very own. Turns out that there’s something like 10+ countries that do that, including several middle eastern nations. Hell, even Led Zeppelin did that. Glad you got some use out of the thread, though. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-facts-you-learned-late-in-life-that-you-didnt-really-know/529711/328 "2010-03-21T07:22:24Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > Until a thread about it a couple of years ago I thought pineapples grew on trees. In our house we were educated at an early age about that. If we tried to eat too many our mum would say… “Hey slow down,pineapples don’t grow on trees you know!” I’m sorry, I’ll get my coat ! ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-facts-you-learned-late-in-life-that-you-didnt-really-know/529711/329 "2010-03-21T13:33:02Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > … > > =O > > So you believe it’s more than one person? I was hoping it was just a pen name or something… Cecil Adams is Ed Zotti, or used to be almost all the time. It may be now that many people write the articles, but you can tell from the writing style that it was one person for quite a long time. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-facts-you-learned-late-in-life-that-you-didnt-really-know/529711/330 "2010-03-21T15:22:04Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Cecil Adams is Ed Zotti, or used to be almost all the time. It may be now that many people write the articles, but you can tell from the writing style that it was one person for quite a long time. There were a couple of other Cecils in the early days but Zotti has been driving him for a long time. ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-facts-you-learned-late-in-life-that-you-didnt-really-know/529711/331 "2010-03-21T16:41:47Z")
Ha, I just remembered a REALLY dumb one that I only learned last month. And someone had to tell me, I didn’t figure it out for myself, which makes it worse: How to hold a lighter so it doesn’t burn my thumb. So sad. But at least I can do it now. ---
**Author:** ![Hairy\_Bob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecc23a/32.png) [@Hairy\_Bob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hairy_Bob)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-facts-you-learned-late-in-life-that-you-didnt-really-know/529711/332 "2010-03-21T17:47:11Z")
Right, hang on, so, if Cecil’s not just one guy, but a collective, then what’s the difference between a question answered by ‘Cecil’ and one answered by a member of straight dope staff? ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-facts-you-learned-late-in-life-that-you-didnt-really-know/529711/333 "2010-03-21T19:11:19Z")
> [@Hairy\_Bob](#): > > Right, hang on, so, if Cecil’s not just one guy, but a collective, then what’s the difference between a question answered by ‘Cecil’ and one answered by a member of straight dope staff? The difference is that Zotti edits the articles written “as Cecil” to read like Cecil Adams, obscuring the real author’s style/tone/etc, as well as doing extra research. I’m sure he edits the ones written by the staff, but not for the same things and in the same way. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-facts-you-learned-late-in-life-that-you-didnt-really-know/529711/334 "2010-03-21T21:24:13Z")
I’m surprised all this talk of Cecil/Zotti is going so smoothly. Not to long ago there was a thread debating whether or not Cecil was real, and everybody, even mods and admins were jumping in. Things kind of got ugly. ---
**Author:** ![NTChrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e274bd/32.png) [@NTChrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NTChrist)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-facts-you-learned-late-in-life-that-you-didnt-really-know/529711/335 "2010-03-21T22:26:48Z")
When I was approximately 6, I was pondering the plight of poor gay men, who I thought would lust pointlessly after straight men. To me, it seemed that they were doomed to unrequited love for their whole lives. The conclusion of that particular ponder was my earth-changing epiphany: Gay men should love _eachother!_ I had to get out and tell the gay community! It wasn’t until adolescence that I realized that my idea wasn’t exactly novel. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-facts-you-learned-late-in-life-that-you-didnt-really-know/529711/336 "2010-03-21T23:25:53Z")
I learned rather late that salsa is not one fruit or vegetable. That is, you don’t grow a salsa plant. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-facts-you-learned-late-in-life-that-you-didnt-really-know/529711/337 "2010-03-21T23:33:01Z")
> [@NTChrist](#): > > When I was approximately 6, I was pondering the plight of poor gay men, who I thought would lust pointlessly after straight men. To me, it seemed that they were doomed to unrequited love for their whole lives. > The conclusion of that particular ponder was my earth-changing epiphany: Gay men should love _eachother!_ I had to get out and tell the gay community! > > It wasn’t until adolescence that I realized that my idea wasn’t exactly novel. This is cute and it made me laugh. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-facts-you-learned-late-in-life-that-you-didnt-really-know/529711/338 "2010-03-21T23:39:34Z")
I thought that condoms were created in the 1980’s. Then I was watching Air America and one of the strategies proposed was to drop large condoms to make the Vietcong think that the Americans had really large penises (or something like that, it’s been a while since I’ve seen the movie). Anyway, I was thinking wow, this movie is taking place in the late 60’s and they had condoms back then? :smack: ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-facts-you-learned-late-in-life-that-you-didnt-really-know/529711/339 "2010-03-22T00:35:31Z")
> [@Nobody](#): > > I was watching Air America and one of the strategies proposed was to drop large condoms to make the Vietcong think that the Americans had really large penises lolwut? ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-facts-you-learned-late-in-life-that-you-didnt-really-know/529711/340 "2010-03-22T00:38:02Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > lolwut? From what I remember it was part of an on-running gag where a moronic officer (I forget what rank) kept giving really stupid ideas on how to scare the Vietcong into submission. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-facts-you-learned-late-in-life-that-you-didnt-really-know/529711.md?page=16) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-facts-you-learned-late-in-life-that-you-didnt-really-know/529711.md?page=18)