# Ignorance fights back: Facts that you refuse to remember **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 27, 2014, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ignorance-fights-back-facts-that-you-refuse-to-remember/699693 "2014-09-27T02:23:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![vontsira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/51bf81/32.png) [@vontsira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vontsira)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2014, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ignorance-fights-back-facts-that-you-refuse-to-remember/699693/21 "2014-09-28T08:56:36Z")
> [@Martian Bigfoot](#): > > The Guelphs and the Ghibellines were, of course, factions backing the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor in Italy, in the 12th and 13th centuries. However, I stubbornly refuse to remember which is which. Unfortunately, I haven’t been very successful so far, but one of these days, I swear, I’ll forget, and it’ll stay forgotten. Concerning this one, perhaps I can offer a bit of confusion-increasing help. A couple of lines of the Irish song _The Hungry Army_ – supposedly in the words of a nineteenth-century Irishman who reluctantly joins the British Army, and has a miserable time therein. He means to imply that he sold his services to the British Empire, his country’s oppressor: “So I sold myself to the power of Guelph, And I went and joined the hungry army.” Presumably the song-maker was desperate for a rhyme for “self” – but he used, above, the wrong faction in the medieval Italian business – the proponents of the Empire in all that, were the Ghibellines. This quirk of the song confuses the heck out of me, and I always have to look the point up. It might just be the extra element of confusion, that you need… ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2014, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ignorance-fights-back-facts-that-you-refuse-to-remember/699693/22 "2014-09-28T11:12:49Z")
> [@Flywheel](#): > > The dromedary has one hump. > The Bactrian has two. > Or else the other way around. > I’m never sure. Are you? Envision a capital D on its side. Now envision a capital B on its side. I’ll leave the rest up to you. 🙂 mmm ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Boods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Ms\_Boods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Boods)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2014, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ignorance-fights-back-facts-that-you-refuse-to-remember/699693/23 "2014-09-28T13:47:53Z")
> [@Martian Bigfoot](#): > > Some examples: > > The members of the Second Triumvirate were Octavian, Mark Antony and Lepidus. As you all know, Lepidus was very much the weakest and least significant member of the group. In fact, he was such a small potato compared to the other two, that whenever I tell someone about the Second Triumvirate, I absolutely forbid them to remember his name. If it somehow sticks with them anyway, I insist that they forget it again as soon as possible. Nope, we need Lepidus for an awesome example of Augustan revenge – Augustus deliberately kept the guy alive after purging most of his other enemies. Imagine being nervous about opening your front door for the final 25 years of your life. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2014, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ignorance-fights-back-facts-that-you-refuse-to-remember/699693/24 "2014-09-28T14:13:40Z")
> [@EmilyG](#): > > I work entirely in French. Of course, I have to be reasonably good at French to work where I do, and most of the time, I don’t have much of a problem. However, I often have trouble remembering what the words “dessus” and “dessous” mean. One means over, and the other means under, and I can’t always remember which means which. It throws me off sometimes when I’m told to, say, put a piece of paper “en dessus” of a pile of papers, and I can’t remember whether it means to put it on the top of the pile or at the bottom of the pile. Just remember that a sous chef is the guy who works under the head chef. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2014, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ignorance-fights-back-facts-that-you-refuse-to-remember/699693/25 "2014-09-28T14:27:37Z")
> [@simster](#): > > the i e rule - > > sure - I remember it (i before e except after c or when sounding like a as in neighbor and weigh) - but when I go to type words that require that remembrance, there is always this annoying squiggly red line underneath them. > [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](#): > > I always thought that’s kind of a weird rule. Not the _reason_ for the rule, but a justification, is that “ci” has a “sh” sound in words like “musician” and “special,” and there are a lot of Italian loan words in English in which “ci” has a “ch” sound. The word that trips me up is “achieve.” I type the C, and so then I want to type “ei” in spite of the intervening H. I can never remember where I parked my car. It’s not a refusal, though. I _refuse_ to remember that George Lucas made a Star Wars “prequellogy.” Also, if your name is Emily, but spelled Emmuhleighe, I will not remember it. If I am never going to see you again, what’s the point? and if I work with you, I’ll just CP it whenever I need to send you and email or memo. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2014, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ignorance-fights-back-facts-that-you-refuse-to-remember/699693/26 "2014-09-28T14:52:29Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > > [@Flywheel](#): > > > > The dromedary has one hump. > > The Bactrian has two. > > Or else the other way around. > > I’m never sure. Are you? > > Envision a capital D on its side. > > Now envision a capital B on its side. > > I’ll leave the rest up to you. 🙂 > mmm Alternatively: While riding, you can lean \*back \*on a _Bac_trian camel. Lean back against the 2nd hump that is. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2014, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ignorance-fights-back-facts-that-you-refuse-to-remember/699693/27 "2014-09-28T15:52:05Z")
I never had any trouble remembering the difference between a bactrian and a dromedary, because for years, I’d seen (in pictures and zoos) only two-humped camels. The first time I saw a one-humped camel, the person with me called it a dromedary, so for years, I thought the two-humped version was a camel-- never heard the word “bactrian,” and a dromedary was an entirely different animal. Once I heard the word “bactrian,” and had the whole thing explained, I had a more difficult time recalling the word “bactrian,” than remembering that the two-humped creature was just one variety of camel. After this thread, though, I expect confusion to ensue. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2014, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ignorance-fights-back-facts-that-you-refuse-to-remember/699693/28 "2014-09-28T17:29:14Z")
It seems that traditionally it was taught in the USA that a Dromedary was one thing and a (Bactrian) Camel another, but even in the past they are in the same family scientifically speaking. > **[Camel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camel)** > > A camel (from Latin: camelus and Ancient Greek: κάμηλος (kamēlos) from Ancient Semitic: gāmāl) is an even-toed ungulate in the genus Camelus that bears distinctive fatty deposits known as "humps" on its back. Camels have long been domesticated and, as livestock, they provide food (camel milk and meat) and textiles (fiber and felt from camel hair). Camels are working animals especially suited to their desert habitat and are a vital means of transport for passengers and cargo. There are three Th... Joseph Campbell reported with amusement examples of advertisements from the early 20th century that showed Camel cigarettes with a Dromedary on the cover and Dromedary Dates had a Bactrian Camel on theirs. So we had a tradition of confusing who has one or two humps and another confusion for the ones that think that a dromedary is not a camel. The original tradition of naming the one humped one just a dromedary and not a camel ended in big part thanks to the efforts of the cigarette company that continued to plough ahead even if advertiser groups of the day (1919) told them they were “wrong”. > **[Associated Advertising](https://books.google.com/books?id=wf4-AQAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA12&lpg=RA1-PA12&dq=camel%2Bcigarettes%2Bdromedary%2Bdates&source=bl&ots=KDyjIjR8-l&sig=mRIMaj7aaqEiqG_FHD5BFs6yyic&hl=en&sa=X&ei=eTsoVMmIL8qAiwL_84DYCA&ved=0CE8Q6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=camel%20cigarettes%20dromedary%20dates&f=false)** > [@](#): > > There appears to be a good deal of evidence on both sides [of why a dromedary is a camel or not], but it will all disappear and he will be called a Camel [too], with one hump or two, no doubt, if the Camel cigarette people continue to advertise vigorously enough long enough. The Dromedary Dates people did correct their advertisement early, and so we have just the cigarette people for the blame of correcting one misunderstanding (the one about the dromedary not being a camel) on one hand, but on the other they are still causing confusion for not being precise enough (not mentioning that it is a _dromedary_ camel). ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2014, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ignorance-fights-back-facts-that-you-refuse-to-remember/699693/29 "2014-09-28T20:13:19Z")
> [@fachverwirrt](#): > > Just remember that a sous chef is the guy who works under the head chef. Thanks. 🙂 I think I may be on the way to learning it. ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2014, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ignorance-fights-back-facts-that-you-refuse-to-remember/699693/30 "2014-09-28T23:29:19Z")
I’m terrible at geography. I’ve lived somewhere decades and can’t tell you where towns are in relation to others. And FFS don’t give me directions using “north” and “south”. Certainly not in the winter. In New England. Gorram sadists… ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2014, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ignorance-fights-back-facts-that-you-refuse-to-remember/699693/31 "2014-09-28T23:55:55Z")
In High School I learned the definitions of Atheist and Agnostic backwards so to this day I keep thinking of them with the opposite meaning. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2014, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ignorance-fights-back-facts-that-you-refuse-to-remember/699693/32 "2014-09-29T03:33:37Z")
> [@vontsira](#): > > He means to imply that he sold his services to the British Empire, his country’s oppressor: > > “So I sold myself to the power of Guelph, > And I went and joined the hungry army.” > > Presumably the song-maker was desperate for a rhyme for “self” – but he used, above, the wrong faction in the medieval Italian business – the proponents of the Empire in all that, were the Ghibellines. The British monarchs at the time were Guelphs. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2014, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ignorance-fights-back-facts-that-you-refuse-to-remember/699693/33 "2014-09-29T03:35:40Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > In High School I learned the definitions of Atheist and Agnostic backwards so to this day I keep thinking of them with the opposite meaning. I did the same thing with pragmatic and pedantic. ---
**Author:** ![vontsira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/51bf81/32.png) [@vontsira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vontsira)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2014, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ignorance-fights-back-facts-that-you-refuse-to-remember/699693/34 "2014-09-29T07:30:01Z")
> [@vontsira](#): > > He means to imply that he sold his services to the British Empire, his country’s oppressor: > > “So I sold myself to the power of Guelph, > And I went and joined the hungry army.” > > Presumably the song-maker was desperate for a rhyme for “self” – but he used, above, the wrong faction in the medieval Italian business – the proponents of the Empire in all that, were the Ghibellines. > [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > The British monarchs at the time were Guelphs. I’m British, and I had no idea. Ignorance truly fought, here – thank you ! ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2014, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ignorance-fights-back-facts-that-you-refuse-to-remember/699693/35 "2014-09-29T13:32:12Z")
I _cannot_ remember the difference between Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable. I also have a hard time remembering the name of that actor…you know the one from Hollywood Squares…he was in Bye Bye Birdie…the one that Roger from American Dad sounds like! FFS, he has the same first name as my son. Oh yeah, Paul Lynde! I love that guy. ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2014, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ignorance-fights-back-facts-that-you-refuse-to-remember/699693/36 "2014-09-29T13:37:34Z")
The metric system. I just can’t. ---
**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 29, 2014, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ignorance-fights-back-facts-that-you-refuse-to-remember/699693/37 "2014-09-29T14:06:39Z")
How to spell “calendar”. I always have to look it up. Or I’ll spell it “calender”. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2014, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ignorance-fights-back-facts-that-you-refuse-to-remember/699693/38 "2014-09-29T14:44:22Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > How to spell “calendar”. I always have to look it up. Or I’ll spell it “calender”. and wendsday… ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2014, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ignorance-fights-back-facts-that-you-refuse-to-remember/699693/39 "2014-09-29T17:28:52Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > I _cannot_ remember the difference between Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable. … Accounts _pay_able = something you’re expected to _pay_. Accounts _receiv_able = something you expect to _receive_. Not too hard. If you get it backwards because you can’t remember whether they’re named from your point of view or your counterparties’ point of view, that’s tougher. But in general things are named and described from your own point of view. e.g. Your left hand is the one on \*your \*left, even though when I’m standing here face-to-face looking at you, your left hand is to \*my \*right as I look at you. p.s. I hope I didn’t just cause you from now on to not know which hand is which 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2014, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ignorance-fights-back-facts-that-you-refuse-to-remember/699693/40 "2014-09-29T17:36:10Z")
Impossible, **LSLGuy** , I keep my hands labelled! I’ll try to remember the payable/receivable thing when it comes up again. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ignorance-fights-back-facts-that-you-refuse-to-remember/699693.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ignorance-fights-back-facts-that-you-refuse-to-remember/699693.md?page=3)