# Behaviours still done though they're no longer needed **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 21, 2020, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/behaviours-still-done-though-theyre-no-longer-needed/852257 "2020-04-21T08:35:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/behaviours-still-done-though-theyre-no-longer-needed/852257/21 "2020-04-21T17:32:25Z")
> [@Yorkshire\_Pudding](#): > > This feature can be turned on or off as you wish. It’s useful to some, not to others; some can use it, others may not. But that causes it to not capitalize where it is needed. > [@](#): > > Typing things is incredibly commonplace, a task routinely performed by people who haven’t formally learnt the skill. So the machine automates double spacing to account for this. If it wasn’t automated, it wouldn’t be done. > > The practice of hitting the spacebar twice therefore has the downside of excessive spacing as the doubling has already been done (and then the document looks odd); dropping the automation wholesale and requiring double spacing to be manually performed has the downside of creating millions of documents which aren’t double spaced, because it wouldn’t be done. But I’ve been repeatedly told that the software will put the same amount of space between sentences regardless of how many space characters are in the document. In fact, I just tested it here by typing about a dozen spaces after each occurrence of the word “document”. Do you see any excessive spacing here? ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/behaviours-still-done-though-theyre-no-longer-needed/852257/22 "2020-04-21T17:35:19Z")
In most texting apps, a double spacebar tap gives you a period and capitalizes the next word. So I am still in the habit of double spacing, just from muscle/pattern memory. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/behaviours-still-done-though-theyre-no-longer-needed/852257/23 "2020-04-21T17:36:16Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > Salting aubergine (egg plant). We had to do this to reduce the bitterness which apparently has been bred out of the species. That explains it! _Solanum melongena_ is now better without pre-salting. I knew it! ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/behaviours-still-done-though-theyre-no-longer-needed/852257/24 "2020-04-21T17:43:51Z")
Rinsing dishes before putting them in the dishwasher is apparently no longer required with modern dishwashers. I still do this myself out of habit even though it’s just a waste of water now. ---
**Author:** ![steepone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/977dab/32.png) [@steepone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steepone)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/behaviours-still-done-though-theyre-no-longer-needed/852257/25 "2020-04-21T17:45:57Z")
> [@GMANCANADA](#): > > The other example that crossed my mind today as I was having tea, is preheating the teapot by swirling hot water in it before you add the boiling water. This supposedly stops the pot from cracking. I saw the “Head Tea Master” of Twinnings on a talk show and he was asked about that. He said that was valid back in the 1800’s because ceramic quality was poor and pots could crack if heated suddenly. Lots of people still do it but unless you’re using an antique teapot it’s no longer required. I’ve heard the same explanation for the rule about putting the milk in the cup before the tea ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/behaviours-still-done-though-theyre-no-longer-needed/852257/26 "2020-04-21T17:47:48Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > A lot of people still stick to the old rule of changing a car’s oil every 3000 miles “because that’s what my father taught me”, even though both oils and engines have advanced a lot and can go quite a bit longer between oil changes now. It didn’t help that a lot of those quick oil change shops pushed the 3000 mile rule just to get more business. I think most of those place have gone to recomending 5000 miles now, though. I’m a Valvoline Instant Oil Change die-hard (haven’t done me wrong in 20 years!) They still refuse to print out stickers with anything but 3 months/3000 miles. I have to make sure I extend the date by 3 months and the miles by 3000 when I look at it. Actually, according to my FordPass app, I don’t need an oil change for 1 year or 6000 miles. I coulda swore the book said 6 months/5000 miles. I still do it twice a year anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/behaviours-still-done-though-theyre-no-longer-needed/852257/27 "2020-04-21T17:51:01Z")
My father used to tell me to never mix the brands of oil in the engine. He said the additives from the two brands would interact in a way that could damage the engine. The question came up on Car Talk, once, and Click and Clack replied that this used to be true, but the US military had decided that they didn’t want to put up with that. They wrote up purchasing specifications that included not interacting with other oil products. Now any oil that wants to sell to the military needs to be compatible with other oils. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/behaviours-still-done-though-theyre-no-longer-needed/852257/28 "2020-04-21T17:56:13Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > Rinsing dishes before putting them in the dishwasher is apparently no longer required with modern dishwashers. I still do this myself out of habit even though it’s just a waste of water now. My daughter sometimes gets in a hurry and doesn’t rinse them before putting them in. About 1/4 of them come out with food still stuck on them. Every time. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/behaviours-still-done-though-theyre-no-longer-needed/852257/29 "2020-04-21T18:27:36Z")
Yeast generally doesn’t need to be proofed to be sure it’s still active, and flour doesn’t need to be sifted. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/behaviours-still-done-though-theyre-no-longer-needed/852257/30 "2020-04-21T18:44:07Z")
> [@Yorkshire\_Pudding](#): > > Pricking sausages. They used to be very prone to bursting catastrophically during cooking (hence the British “banger”), so they’d routinely be pierced before cooking. Sausages can still split, of course, but the expense of meat meant lots of fat and filler would historically be used (especially during wartime) so the splitting was rather more explosive. Some folks still habitually stab their sausages now, which just means they ooze fat and dry out. > [@TriPolar](#): > > People do this now sometimes in order to let the fat drain out because… well aside from them not liking good food, I’m not really sure why. Maybe some kind of myth about fat making their clothes shrink or something like that. Not sure what “not liking good food” means. I like sausage, but most of it has more fat in it than I want; so I prick the sausages when cooking in order to let the extra fat drain out. Apparently a lot of people like their sausage that fatty. My liking it leaner doesn’t mean that one of us does like “good food” and the other one doesn’t. > [@SanVito](#): > > Cooking pork well done. This was probably because pigs used to be given any old crap to eat, including meat. And lack of refrigeration. Problems that no longer exist - pork is fine to eat under done. Not much to do with refrigeration, at least as compared to any other meat; though it does have to do with feeding raw meat. The issue was/is trichinellosis; and while that’s a lot rarer than it used to be, [it’s still a possible issue](https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/trichinellosis/gen_info/faqs.html), though now at least in the USA more commonly associated with wild game and pretty rare even then. > [@SanVito](#): > > Salting aubergine (egg plant). We had to do this to reduce the bitterness which apparently has been bred out of the species. > [@Johanna](#): > > That explains it! _Solanum melongena_ is now better without pre-salting. I knew it! Most eggplant varieties on the market in the USA (and presumably in other countries that don’t like bitter eggplant) are indeed bred to not be bitter. Overripeness, difficult weather conditions, or refrigerating the eggplant before it’s cooked can still cause bitterness, though. Some varieties are bred to be bitter – there are some cuisines that desire that flavor. An occasional market customer has told me that they salt, not because of bitterness, but because it changes the texture and they prefer the texture of salted eggplant in the particular things they cook with it. Me, I don’t salt the stuff; and offer money back or a different eggplant if a customer gets a bitter one from me – as long as they didn’t refrigerate it. (Once it’s cooked, it’s fine to refrigerate any leftovers.) ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/behaviours-still-done-though-theyre-no-longer-needed/852257/31 "2020-04-21T18:49:04Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > Not sure what “not liking good food” means. I like sausage, but most of it has more fat in it than I want; so I prick the sausages when cooking in order to let the extra fat drain out. > > Apparently a lot of people like their sausage that fatty. My liking it leaner doesn’t mean that one of us does like “good food” and the other one doesn’t. Wait, are you telling me I’m not the arbiter of what constitutes good food? Well damn, I thought I was. Sorry about that. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/behaviours-still-done-though-theyre-no-longer-needed/852257/32 "2020-04-21T19:01:49Z")
I think the pork thing was back when [trichinosis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trichinosis) was a thing. I will still cook my pork (and all meats) thoroughly, thank you. The dishwasher thing - I still rinse but just to get the major pieces off. People in my house don’t rinse things like glasses used for milk, and that can get smelly between washes. I say give it a quick rinse. I occasionally see people on a bicycle or in a car giving hand signals with their left hand. I know it is well-intentioned, but I would recon few know what those hand signals mean. On a bike I just point in the direction I am wanting to go - drivers seem to know that easily. And in a car just use your damn signal! ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/behaviours-still-done-though-theyre-no-longer-needed/852257/33 "2020-04-21T19:07:23Z")
I don’t like what pre-salting does to the texture of eggplant (aubergine) given whatever varietal is the main one we get in the United States: it’s very dark purple and it grows much larger and plumper than ethnic varietals like Italian, Chinese, or Indian eggplants (aubergines). It’s best used just as is, or maybe that’s me. Edit: Thank you for the notes on refrigeration, **thorny locust**. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/behaviours-still-done-though-theyre-no-longer-needed/852257/34 "2020-04-21T19:09:16Z")
Saying ‘bless you’ when somone sneezes. What started as Pope Greg I’s divine answer in 590 AD to potential plague victims and later to the medival notion that your heart stopped beating when you sneeze it has now morphed into just good manners. I’ve been saying ‘bless you’ when a stranger farts just to do my bit to change society. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/behaviours-still-done-though-theyre-no-longer-needed/852257/35 "2020-04-21T19:11:46Z")
It’s difficult to purchase pork that isn’t salted even though the preservatives already in it are doing the job salt was used for. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/behaviours-still-done-though-theyre-no-longer-needed/852257/36 "2020-04-21T19:18:17Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > Rinsing dishes before putting them in the dishwasher is apparently no longer required with modern dishwashers. I still do this myself out of habit even though it’s just a waste of water now. I think this is definitely an “it depends” thing. Do any dishes have baked-on gunk? You may need to soak or scrub first. Are you running the dishwasher immediately after loading? If not, you may want to pre-rinse so the food doesn’t dry onto the dishes. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/behaviours-still-done-though-theyre-no-longer-needed/852257/37 "2020-04-21T19:33:40Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > I think this is definitely an “it depends” thing. Do any dishes have baked-on gunk? You may need to soak or scrub first. Are you running the dishwasher immediately after loading? If not, you may want to pre-rinse so the food doesn’t dry onto the dishes. I think another big “it depends” is the make and model of the dishwasher itself. Some are just better at dealing with gunk than others. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/behaviours-still-done-though-theyre-no-longer-needed/852257/38 "2020-04-21T19:34:05Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > Rinsing dishes before putting them in the dishwasher is apparently no longer required with modern dishwashers. I still do this myself out of habit even though it’s just a waste of water now. I have been told that it really depends on the dishwasher model. Some have a food grinder/disposal built in which takes care of the bigger bits. Others do not, and require rinsing the bigger bits off before putting in the dishwasher. ---
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/behaviours-still-done-though-theyre-no-longer-needed/852257/39 "2020-04-21T19:44:51Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > A lot of people still stick to the old rule of changing a car’s oil every 3000 miles “because that’s what my father taught me”, even though both oils and engines have advanced a lot and can go quite a bit longer between oil changes now. It didn’t help that a lot of those quick oil change shops pushed the 3000 mile rule just to get more business. I think most of those place have gone to recomending 5000 miles now, though. I use this as a litmus test for whether a place should continue to get my business. If you change the oil according to the manufacturer recommendations (right viscosity, right synthetic or synthetic blend) and place a sticker that is in accordance with the recommendations in the owner’s manual, it shows that you know cars and care about them. If you just slap a sticker on there and write \ I know you don’t give a shit about cars. Around here, 3K is still written on the sticker very often. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2020, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/behaviours-still-done-though-theyre-no-longer-needed/852257/40 "2020-04-21T19:50:16Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > It’s difficult to purchase pork that isn’t salted even though the preservatives already in it are doing the job salt was used for. Did you mean bacon? Salt changes the texture of the meat in addition to creating an inhospitable environment for bacteria. For other products like prosciutto the proper amount of salt encourages desirable bacterial growth. When nitrites are used the mix is about 15:1 salt to nitrite, replacing it all with would be dangerous. And people expect these products to taste salty. Otherwise, you can get unadulterated pork easily. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/behaviours-still-done-though-theyre-no-longer-needed/852257.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/behaviours-still-done-though-theyre-no-longer-needed/852257.md?page=3)