# Facts you've taught your friends/family/co-workers lately **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 25, 2009, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facts-youve-taught-your-friends-family-co-workers-lately/511453 "2009-09-25T01:58:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facts-youve-taught-your-friends-family-co-workers-lately/511453/1 "2009-09-25T01:58:28Z")
The word pronounced “VIT əlz” (meaning food) is more properly spelled v-i-c-t-u-a-l-s. “Vittles” is just a nonstandard variant. ---
**Author:** ![prettydorky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f04885/32.png) [@prettydorky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/prettydorky)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facts-youve-taught-your-friends-family-co-workers-lately/511453/2 "2009-09-25T02:03:47Z")
1. “shiny silver with lots of rainbow colors” wrapping paper is called _incandescent_ 2. “Time Square” is actually _Times Square_ ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facts-youve-taught-your-friends-family-co-workers-lately/511453/3 "2009-09-25T02:04:02Z")
Although most people say “forte” as _fort-TAY_, it’s not a French word. It was originally supposed to be said with one syllable. ---
**Author:** ![zagloba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/977dab/32.png) [@zagloba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zagloba)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facts-youve-taught-your-friends-family-co-workers-lately/511453/4 "2009-09-25T09:14:42Z")
> [@prettydorky](#): > > 1. “shiny silver with lots of rainbow colors” wrapping paper is called _incandescent_ That’s iridescent. ---
**Author:** ![prettydorky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f04885/32.png) [@prettydorky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/prettydorky)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facts-youve-taught-your-friends-family-co-workers-lately/511453/5 "2009-09-25T16:41:14Z")
DOH!!! I meant to type that; I really did. That was the crux of the whole thing! They were saying incandescent and I corrected them to iridescent. Gahhh… ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facts-youve-taught-your-friends-family-co-workers-lately/511453/6 "2009-09-25T16:47:56Z")
> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > Although most people say “forte” as _fort-TAY_, it’s not a French word. It was originally supposed to be said with one syllable. Untrue. “Forte” is indeed a french word, pronounced _for-tay_. Whether one says “fort” or “fortay” depends on whether or not they’re using the italian or french pronunciation. Granted, the italian pronunciation is preferred as many feel the derivation of the american expression was out of the italian word, rather than the french one. But that opinion does not negate the french word. ---
**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:** [September 25, 2009, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facts-youve-taught-your-friends-family-co-workers-lately/511453/7 "2009-09-25T16:51:10Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Untrue. “Forte” is indeed a french word, pronounced _for-tay_. > > Whether one says “fort” or “fortay” depends on whether or not they’re using the italian or french pronunciation. > > Granted, the italian pronunciation is preferred as many feel the derivation of the american expression was out of the italian word, rather than the french one. > > But that opinion does not negate the french word. I was under the impression that “forte” the music term (as in “loud”) was Italian and was supposed to be pronounced with two syllables, while “forte” meaning one’s strong suit was French and should be pronounced with one syllable. Am I right? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facts-youve-taught-your-friends-family-co-workers-lately/511453/8 "2009-09-25T16:59:11Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I was under the impression that “forte” the music term (as in “loud”) was Italian and was supposed to be pronounced with two syllables, while “forte” meaning one’s strong suit was French and should be pronounced with one syllable. Am I right? \<\\> You are correct. I got the nationalities reversed. French pronunciation is the one-syllable “fort”, italian is the two syllable “fort”. Forte in french means “strong”, while in italian it means ‘loud’. (or so I think now. I should shut up, I’m not an linguist. But “forte” is a real french word, which was my main contention) :smack::smack: ---
**Author:** ![picker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/picker/32/13969_2.png) [@picker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picker)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facts-youve-taught-your-friends-family-co-workers-lately/511453/9 "2009-09-25T17:37:49Z")
Actually, _forte_ means strong in Italian as well. It just means the music is to be played strongly. Sorry, m’man Mercotan. please don’t crush my hull ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facts-youve-taught-your-friends-family-co-workers-lately/511453/10 "2009-09-26T01:20:33Z")
When my dad emailed me a rumor that [Snopes.com](http://Snopes.com) had been discredited. I sent him back, [THIS](http://www.factcheck.org/2009/04/snopescom/) link and told him not to believe every rumor that hits his email inbox. I felt pretty good that I taught my dad to be a better critical thinker. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facts-youve-taught-your-friends-family-co-workers-lately/511453/11 "2009-09-26T01:29:12Z")
I just taught my dad yesterday that ringworm does not come from poop, is not an internal parasite, and isn’t really a worm but a fungus. It just looks like there’s a worm under the skin when people get a classic lesion from it. He didn’t know it’s treated with the same stuff used for athlete’s foot and jock itch, and it’s not that big a deal for people or animals with healthy immune systems. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facts-youve-taught-your-friends-family-co-workers-lately/511453/12 "2009-09-26T02:09:06Z")
I taught my fiancee about the double-slit experiment, as best I understood it, which is very very little. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facts-youve-taught-your-friends-family-co-workers-lately/511453/13 "2009-09-26T02:36:14Z")
Today I taught my co-workers how [casu marzu](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casu_marzu) (a Sardinian variety of cheese) is made. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Manwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Manwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manwich)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facts-youve-taught-your-friends-family-co-workers-lately/511453/14 "2009-09-26T02:46:30Z")
My colleagues were thrilled to learn that male marsupials generally have forked penises and females have two vaginas to match. They were also fascinated by the story of the homosexual necrophiliac mallard (he fucked the corpse for over an hour!). ---
**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:** [September 28, 2009, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facts-youve-taught-your-friends-family-co-workers-lately/511453/15 "2009-09-28T01:03:06Z")
> [@Manwich](#): > > and females have two vaginas to match. Is this related to that “double-slit experiment” **RandMcnally** was talking about? ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2009, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facts-youve-taught-your-friends-family-co-workers-lately/511453/16 "2009-09-28T01:23:01Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I was under the impression that “forte” the music term (as in “loud”) was Italian and was supposed to be pronounced with two syllables, while “forte” meaning one’s strong suit was French and should be pronounced with one syllable. Am I right? Looking up [forte](http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forte) in Merriam-Webster, it seems that the proper pronunciation is problematic. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2009, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facts-youve-taught-your-friends-family-co-workers-lately/511453/17 "2009-09-28T03:38:45Z")
About one in five Americans are living in poverty. Most of them are children. ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facts-youve-taught-your-friends-family-co-workers-lately/511453/18 "2009-09-29T21:12:27Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > The word pronounced “VIT əlz” (meaning food) is more properly spelled v-i-c-t-u-a-l-s. “Vittles” is just a nonstandard variant. I have still never heard that word actually pronounced. I’ve heard “vittles” on country-cultured shows, but never even connected the two. Are you saying something like Vitte-ells? Short i? ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2009, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facts-youve-taught-your-friends-family-co-workers-lately/511453/19 "2009-09-30T01:12:22Z")
> [@Cardinal](#): > > I have still never heard that word actually pronounced. I’ve heard “vittles” on country-cultured shows, but never even connected the two. Are you saying something like Vitte-ells? Short i? I was trying to say that vittles and victuals are pronounced identically. ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2009, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facts-youve-taught-your-friends-family-co-workers-lately/511453/20 "2009-09-30T01:22:23Z")
“A Giraffe’s tongue is 18 inches long and prehensile.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facts-youve-taught-your-friends-family-co-workers-lately/511453.md?page=2)