# Discussion thread for the "Polls only" thread (Part 1) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 28, 2022, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380 "2022-09-28T11:33:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 141
**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:** [March 18, 2023, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/2802 "2023-03-18T23:10:18Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > I think people are voting in that poll backwards. I refuse to believe 100% of respondents prefer the term “inflated packaging cushion”. Huh? It reads to me that 100% prefer “bubblewrap”. Which I didn’t even know was a trademark name. Nor did I know that styrofoam, ping pong, and rollerblade are trademark names. Ignorance fought! – nor do I know why, when I re-opened that page, it came up appearing as if I hadn’t voted. Which I had, and now I don’t know whether I should do so again. I have never eaten a Starburst. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2023, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/2803 "2023-03-18T23:35:12Z")
I think you’re reading it backward. The poll basically say which of these brand names do you use as a generic term. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2023, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/2804 "2023-03-18T23:38:52Z")
That’s right, the question is whether you use the brand names generically. The description in parentheses is just to clarify what the brand name refers to. (For example, I didn’t want people to think that “Bobcat” referred to the animal.) ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2023, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/2805 "2023-03-19T03:55:09Z")
> [@Mollie\_Magill](#): > > Venezuelan beaver cheese, anyone? :: golf clap :: ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2023, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/2806 "2023-03-19T03:56:26Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > > [@DesertDog](#): > > > > I _knew_ cheddar was going to win. > > It’s the single most popular cheese in the world! Not ‘round these parts, sir. Oops, sorry, yes, it is! ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2023, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/2807 "2023-03-19T14:26:34Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > I think we have a failure to define terms in the bath mat poll. That would take another poll. 🙂 I wasn’t thinking of any specific type of bath mat. We use just put hand towels on the floor, and they are only used as bath mats. I would like to have the typical hotel bath mat - the one which is similar to a hand towel, but slightly heavier. The ones here typically have a backing, which will break down fairly quickly due to floor heating, or are really thick and heavy, so they don’t dry very fast. Because we use a hand towel, it is pretty damp after my husband (who steps onto it and then dries off) uses it. But it dries fairly quickly due to the floor heating. Just not fast enough, if I happen to take a shower after him. So I shower first. When we’re at my parents, who have a big fluffy bath mat, we hang it over the edge of the bathtub, or over the bar on the sliding door to the tub. Regarding the washing of towels, the towels, that means the hand towels in the bathrooms, plus the bath towels, get washed approximately once a week. But we use fresh washcloths (husband actually uses a bath mitt, like [these](https://www.amazon.com/Made-Easy-Kit-Bath-Mitts/dp/B07KMDTRTZ/ref=sr_1_3_sspa?keywords=bath+mitts&qid=1679235248&sr=8-3-spons&psc=1&smid=A35YH525LNV8MB&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzQzRPS0IyTUZPUUtGJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMzM4NDE0MThUMzUzRTEwVERFWCZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNTczOTU0OU9QNFNCNk1JVlhaJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==)) every day, and change the dish cloths every 3-4 days, depending on how much we’re cooking at home. > [@markn\_1](#): > > It’s the single most popular cheese in the world! Cite? I couldn’t even buy cheddar here (Switzerland) the first 5-6 years, and it’s only been the last 2-3 years that there’s any cheddar made here. [This](https://www.tasteatlas.com/most-popular-cheeses-in-the-world) website says Mozzarella is the most popular. As it’s popular in both Europe and the U.S., especially on pizza, that seems reasonable. Of course, for straight eating, cheddar is better. Mozzarella is only worth eating straight as string cheese. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2023, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/2808 "2023-03-19T15:39:00Z")
Cite: [Monty Python- Cheese Shop - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hz1JWzyvv8A&t=225s) ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2023, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/2809 "2023-03-19T17:12:15Z")
Is it necessary to clarify that “gaslighting” has a more specific meaning than just any instance of trying to get someone to believe something that isn’t true? ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2023, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/2810 "2023-03-19T18:55:07Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > Heh, must not be any Brits in the brand-name poll. Hoover is currently at 0%. Rectified. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2023, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/2811 "2023-03-19T18:59:04Z")
Indeed! ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2023, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/2812 "2023-03-19T19:44:04Z")
I’ve used ‘hoover’ as a verb, especially when watching the dogs eat, but not as a noun. ---
**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:** [March 19, 2023, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/2813 "2023-03-19T19:58:41Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Is it necessary to clarify that “gaslighting” has a more specific meaning than just any instance of trying to get someone to believe something that isn’t true? Yes, I think so. My reaction to that poll is that, depending on what they’re trying to get me to believe and how they’re going about it, they may or may not be gaslighting me; and also that I think either “gaslighted” or “gaslit” is acceptable. – and I’m not going to try to kill most of those; only to get them out of the house – and some of the spiders I’ll leave in on purpose. I will admit to deliberately vacuuming up cluster flies, and occasionally accidentally getting somebody else in the process. I will also swat a fly, whether cluster or housefly, with a flyswatter, newspaper, or whatever else comes to hand. And I will squash potato beetles at various lifestages; but I usually wrap them up in the leaves they’re on to do so, or wear gloves. (I would squash the flea beetles also, but I can’t catch them. They’re named for how fast they jump.) Didn’t vote in either. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2023, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/2814 "2023-03-19T20:59:05Z")
I answered the killer polls, but my responses were colored by the fact that I’m not going to try to kill many of the creatures on the list, and of the ones I do want dead, I’m less and less likely to do it up close and personal the bigger and juicier they get. I’ll kill a gnat with my hands, a fly or roach with a handheld object, and a mouse or rat only with a trap. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2023, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/2815 "2023-03-19T22:18:08Z")
Left out my preferred method. The Bug-a-salt gun. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2023, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/2816 "2023-03-19T22:47:01Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Not ‘round these parts, sir. Making everyone wonder if you are from Wensleydale. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2023, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/2817 "2023-03-19T22:50:21Z")
I’m not, but I’m the finest in the district. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2023, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/2818 "2023-03-19T23:11:30Z")
I’m surprised Ilchester didn’t win. It’s staggeringly popular around here. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2023, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/2819 "2023-03-19T23:13:19Z")
_Quite_ staggeringly popular. Up to now, this thread has been almost entirely uncontaminated by cheese. 🤔 ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2023, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/2820 "2023-03-19T23:44:46Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > I’m the finest in the district. 😂 🤣 😂 ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2023, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380/2821 "2023-03-20T03:23:54Z")
I don’t keep butter on the door in the fridge. There’s just milk, 1/2 & 1/2, mayo, and jarred bouillon paste. And maybe 1 bottle of salad dressing. Everything else goes in drawers or on shelves. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380.md?page=140) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-1/972380.md?page=142)