# Incredibly common products which the store clerk never heard of **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 23, 2021, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-common-products-which-the-store-clerk-never-heard-of/951225 "2021-09-23T21:29:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2021, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-common-products-which-the-store-clerk-never-heard-of/951225/121 "2021-09-25T16:50:31Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > A staff person at Meijers didn’t know what longjohns are. “Long johns?” I’m kinda vague on exactly what sort of establishment Meijers is, so I ask if you were looking for underwear or donuts. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2021, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-common-products-which-the-store-clerk-never-heard-of/951225/122 "2021-09-25T16:55:40Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > I’m kinda vague on exactly what sort of establishment Meijers is, so I ask if you were looking for underwear or donuts. Meijer is a Midwestern grocery store chain which also stocks other items (including clothing), so it’s entirely possible that they would have both! ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2021, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-common-products-which-the-store-clerk-never-heard-of/951225/123 "2021-09-25T17:01:33Z")
> [@alovem](#): > > I was also in need of a styptic pencil, but damned if I was going to ask for _that_ . That’s probably why so many old farts like me grow long white beards. It’s easier than shaving carefully enough to avoid cuts when none of the whippersnappers can help you find a styptic pencil. (In a pet supply store you can find little jars of styptic powder next to the nail clippers.) ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2021, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-common-products-which-the-store-clerk-never-heard-of/951225/124 "2021-09-25T17:19:55Z")
Dear Distinguished Gentleperson, Mrs. Amazon can help: > **[Amazon.com: Clubman Styptic Pencil Jumbo (3 Pack) : Everything Else](https://www.amazon.com/Clubman-Styptic-Pencil-Jumbo-Pack/dp/B000RIZ8U2)** > > Buy Clubman Styptic Pencil Jumbo (3 Pack) on Amazon.com ✓ FREE SHIPPING on qualified orders Please note the dashing fellow illustrated on the packaging. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2021, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-common-products-which-the-store-clerk-never-heard-of/951225/125 "2021-09-25T17:28:18Z")
Not quite what the OP was looking for but it reminded me of a story. I was checking into a hotel in Oklahoma City and the woman in front of me asked where the closest bagel shop was. He replied “Ma’am, this is Oklahoma, we don’t have bagel shops.” She chuckled and looked at me and I told her, “He’s not joking.” I’m not sure that she believed me either. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2021, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-common-products-which-the-store-clerk-never-heard-of/951225/126 "2021-09-25T17:32:23Z")
Surely there are cafes with bagels or an Einstein Brothers? OTOH, I grow parsnips and dehydrate mushrooms, so I may not understand the deficiencies of the world around me. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2021, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-common-products-which-the-store-clerk-never-heard-of/951225/127 "2021-09-25T17:33:13Z")
Meijers used to call itself “Meijers Thrifty Acres” and were HUGE. I mean, you could outfit a safari at that place (although I don’t think they sell guns anymore). I’m not familiar with Long Johns being a kind or brand of doughnut but I was in the clothing section and I don’t think it would have made a difference as she didn’t try to direct me to the food section. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2021, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-common-products-which-the-store-clerk-never-heard-of/951225/128 "2021-09-25T17:39:23Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > I was checking into a hotel in Oklahoma City and the woman in front of me asked where the closest bagel shop was. He replied “Ma’am, this is Oklahoma, we don’t have bagel shops.” She chuckled and looked at me and I told her, “He’s not joking.” I’m not sure that she believed me either. Pretty much the same thing for me, but I was asking for a deli, and they seemed to be puzzled that such a thing would exist outside a supermarket. I lived in New York at the time and was in OKC for two weeks and decided not to fly back for the weekend. I was looking for a Jewish deli. This was 1994, and at the time, I might as well have been looking for an Ethiopian place. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2021, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-common-products-which-the-store-clerk-never-heard-of/951225/129 "2021-09-25T17:40:36Z")
Very few cafes in Oklahoma have bagels. I’d guess less than 5%. I’ve never heard of Einstein Brothers. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2021, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-common-products-which-the-store-clerk-never-heard-of/951225/130 "2021-09-25T17:44:07Z")
Yep. Now if you had been looking for a 24 hour BBQ joint, I’m sure they could have set you up. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2021, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-common-products-which-the-store-clerk-never-heard-of/951225/131 "2021-09-25T17:44:23Z")
Googling, Einstein Brothers (a chain of bagel shops) has a location in Oklahoma City. Lots of things that were once unavailable outside the coasts are now available throughout the country. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2021, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-common-products-which-the-store-clerk-never-heard-of/951225/132 "2021-09-25T17:46:25Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > The grocery store we shop at categorizes bulk peppers as “miscellaneous hot peppers” all the same price per pound. Makes it easy. At the checkout counter, sure. When you’re shopping for a recipe, not so much. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2021, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-common-products-which-the-store-clerk-never-heard-of/951225/133 "2021-09-25T17:49:22Z")
> [@Mighty\_Mouse](#): > > I was looking for a Jewish deli. This was 1994, and at the time, I might as well have been looking for an Ethiopian place. I initially read that as “I might as well have been looking for an Ethiopian palace”. Same difference, I guess. You were about equally likely to find any of those things in Oklahoma City. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2021, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-common-products-which-the-store-clerk-never-heard-of/951225/134 "2021-09-25T17:53:32Z")
Further research: “Cubanelles are also called the **Italian Frying Pepper** , because they are great in a frying pan with a little olive oil.” [Source](https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/chili-pepper-types/sweet-mild-chili-peppers/cubanelle-chili-peppers/) Also: “Italian Frying Peppers are easier to digest than regular bell peppers. They have mild, maybe ever so lightly piquant taste. In Italy, they are called frigitelli, except for Campagna region where they known as friarelli.” [Source](https://www.italianrecipebook.com/italian-frying-peppers/) Take yer pick …of pickled peppers ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2021, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-common-products-which-the-store-clerk-never-heard-of/951225/135 "2021-09-25T17:58:52Z")
Cotter pins are sometimes called ‘split pins’, or ‘cotter keys’. If you work with vehicles of any kind, it would be almost impossible to not deal with cotter pins. They’re everywhere. Count me as another person who has never heard the term ‘grass whip’. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2021, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-common-products-which-the-store-clerk-never-heard-of/951225/136 "2021-09-25T18:01:46Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > I’m not familiar with Long Johns being a kind or brand of doughnut It’s a style of doughnut – rather than being a circle, they’re rectangular. Shaped kind of like an eclair, but not usually filled with cream, and a different texture from an eclair (the ones I’ve had are usually made from the same batter as a raised donut). Very Midwestern, as I understand it. [![](https://eadn-wc04-3072018.nxedge.io/cdn/pub/media/catalog/product/cache/3413f5032cb3823295de8b583b3bd7c7/l/o/long-john-chocolate-fudge.jpg) ](https://eadn-wc04-3072018.nxedge.io/cdn/pub/media/catalog/product/cache/3413f5032cb3823295de8b583b3bd7c7/l/o/long-john-chocolate-fudge.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2021, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-common-products-which-the-store-clerk-never-heard-of/951225/137 "2021-09-25T18:07:35Z")
> [@OldOlds](#): > > Excuse me. I’m looking for the lard. > _Lard? What’s that?_ I think our store has it, but I’m not sure I’ve seen in on the shelf. Now suet, that’s a modern mystery. I have a chili recipe that wants suet but no one carries it. (and considering what it is, maybe they shouldn’t!). > [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > Malt powder. Our supermarket does carry it,m but it never seems to be in the same place twice, and no one there knows what it is. It is there, but since it takes upo exactly two inches of shelf space, it’s nigh-impossible to find. ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2021, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-common-products-which-the-store-clerk-never-heard-of/951225/138 "2021-09-25T18:14:37Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > “courgette” Maybe your co-workers call them vegetable marrows? ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2021, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-common-products-which-the-store-clerk-never-heard-of/951225/139 "2021-09-25T18:16:28Z")
Rhubarb is a common grocery checkout stumper. But while it’s been in every grocery I’ve used regularly, I doubt many people buy it so I’m not sure it qualifies as “incredibly common”. I was looking for pitas in a now-closed grocery in Urbana, IL, and the staff had no idea what I was talking about. Flatbread? Pocket bread? Nope. “Couldn’t you just buy a roll and squish it?” 🤦‍♂️ A Meijer (no s at the end) moved in a half mile away and the first place didn’t last. Meijer had pitas. Maybe this place did too, but the staff didn’t know about it. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2021, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-common-products-which-the-store-clerk-never-heard-of/951225/140 "2021-09-25T18:17:11Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Then we have folks from abroad who will call a zucchini a “courgette” (which, I believe, is the more common term in Europe) or an eggplant an “aubergine” Are those French terms? I’ve seen them in menus in French restaurants. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-common-products-which-the-store-clerk-never-heard-of/951225.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-common-products-which-the-store-clerk-never-heard-of/951225.md?page=8)