# Obvious things about real life you realize after the millionth time **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 9, 2016, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-real-life-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time/748352 "2016-03-09T00:07:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Haunted\_Pasta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/94ad74/32.png) [@Haunted\_Pasta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Haunted_Pasta)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-real-life-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time/748352/101 "2016-03-11T15:37:36Z")
So, inside the little flappy door that covers the opening to the gas tank on my cars, there’s this weird U-shaped fixture. \*It’s for holding the fuel cap while you’re filling up. \* It turns out I didn’t have to be putting the fuel cap on the car roof, chasing it when it inevitably rolled off, etc. for those many, many years. It was… not a good moment for me when this truth suddenly dawned. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-real-life-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time/748352/102 "2016-03-11T16:42:00Z")
Mine is attached by a cord. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-real-life-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time/748352/103 "2016-03-11T19:58:38Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > Mine is attached by a cord. Mine has the U-shape thing AND a cord. It’s an A-grade car, I’ve known it all the time. Not. It’s a seven year old Skoda Fabia, but it’s a fine car. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-real-life-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time/748352/104 "2016-03-11T20:41:41Z")
My last couple of cars have had the cap attached by the plastic thingy but I’m old enough to have had a car where the cap came off and indeed I have chased them around on the ground. Would have been nice to know about the cap holder, although since no one ever told me about it, I’m guessing a lot of other people didn’t know either (I’m looking at you, Dad, and every boyfriend I ever had). ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-real-life-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time/748352/105 "2016-03-11T22:53:03Z")
> [@Haunted\_Pasta](#): > > So, inside the little flappy door that covers the opening to the gas tank on my cars, there’s this weird U-shaped fixture. > > \*It’s for holding the fuel cap while you’re filling up. \* It turns out I didn’t have to be putting the fuel cap on the car roof, chasing it when it inevitably rolled off, etc. for those many, many years. > > It was… not a good moment for me when this truth suddenly dawned. I learned this one day when at a full service gas station. I glanced at my side mirror just as the attendant put cap in the holder. I was flabbergasted! ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2016, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-real-life-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time/748352/106 "2016-03-12T00:43:32Z")
> [@Arcite](#): > > That may be, but it’s far from obvious. If you don’t grow peppers yourself, you’d never know that there aren’t separate red and green varieties. Dunno - if you’re familiar with the concept of ripe and unripe fruit, it should be sort of obvious. Most fruits go from green to something else as they ripen. ---
**Author:** ![funky\_little\_lee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e95f7d/32.png) [@funky\_little\_lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/funky_little_lee)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2016, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-real-life-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time/748352/107 "2016-03-12T04:40:45Z")
> [@Arcite](#): > > This is inspired by the long-running thread [URL=“[Obvious things about a creative work you realize after the millionth time (OPEN SPOILERS POSSIBLE) - Cafe Society - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=525685)”]It had never occurred to me that green beans were just the immature, unripened seed pod of the same kind of plant, and the other kind of beans were the mature seeds, what the little tiny green seeds inside the green bean pod grew into if you let it grow. Those seed beans are Great Northern beans. I didn’t know that until I was in my 40s. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2016, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-real-life-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time/748352/108 "2016-03-12T11:47:39Z")
> [@toofs](#): > > “I’m turning Japanese, I think I’m turning Japanese, I really think so” I recall this 80s song. Is there some hidden meaning we should be aware of? ---
**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:** [March 12, 2016, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-real-life-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time/748352/109 "2016-03-12T12:20:13Z")
I just recently realized why the “top of the hour” and “bottom of the hour” are called that. :smack: > [@Loach](#): > > I didn’t realize this until I bought a house where this was the case. The town in your mailing address has nothing to do with where your house is. It is where the post office with your Zip Code is. People in more rural states probably grew up knowing that. Lots of people in mismatched areas are just hopelessly confused. In my area, it’s even more confusing because school districts are separate and generally do not match any other boundaries, and parents often deal with the schools much more than the city. And property developers will exploit it by naming subdivisions in a lower-status city after the higher-status city where the post office and schools are. So someone will have a Footown address, send their kids to Footown City Schools, and live in a subdivision called Footown Acres, and then when there’s a pothole on their street they call and argue with the folks at Footown city hall…who beat their heads on the desk while trying to explain that the caller is actually in Anyville. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2016, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-real-life-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time/748352/110 "2016-03-12T12:30:38Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > I recall this 80s song. Is there some hidden meaning we should be aware of? Looked it up – got it. Masturbation, apparently. (From nearly closing one’s eyes at the key moment.) I would never have even guessed there was a hidden meaning, because of the actual Japanese visual theme of the song’s video. Ignorance fought. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2016, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-real-life-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time/748352/111 "2016-03-12T14:49:04Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > My last couple of cars have had the cap attached by the plastic thingy but I’m old enough to have had a car where the cap came off and indeed I have chased them around on the ground. Would have been nice to know about the cap holder, although since no one ever told me about it, I’m guessing a lot of other people didn’t know either (I’m looking at you, Dad, and every boyfriend I ever had). Many older cars don’t have the holders. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2016, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-real-life-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time/748352/112 "2016-03-12T15:12:15Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > Looked it up – got it. Masturbation, apparently. (From nearly closing one’s eyes at the key moment.) According to [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turning_Japanese) the songwriter has denied that the song has anything to do with masturbation and said that the phrase “turning Japanese” was basically just nonsense, although the quotes aren’t sourced. ---
**Author:** ![Arcite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/67e7ee/32.png) [@Arcite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arcite)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2016, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-real-life-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time/748352/113 "2016-03-12T17:10:14Z")
> [@Lamia](#): > > According to [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turning_Japanese) the songwriter has denied that the song has anything to do with masturbation and said that the phrase “turning Japanese” was basically just nonsense, although the quotes aren’t sourced. Regardless, this is not an obvious thing about real life you realize after the millionth time. ---
**Author:** ![eclectic\_wench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ac91a4/32.png) [@eclectic\_wench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eclectic_wench)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2016, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-real-life-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time/748352/114 "2016-03-12T19:01:10Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > "knights in white satan… That’s a whole other song. ---
**Author:** ![vertizontal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ad7895/32.png) [@vertizontal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vertizontal)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2016, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-real-life-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time/748352/115 "2016-03-16T17:53:19Z")
I’ve been a big fan of **tartar sauce** my whole life. Also, my whole life, when glancing at a spice rack, I often see **Creme of Tartar**. I always assumed that Creme of Tartar was a primary ingredient in tartar sauce. A few months ago I was at a deli and and asked for tartar sauce on my fish sandwich, but the bin that holds the tartar sauce was just about empty. I watched them replenish the bin by putting in a combination of mayo with pickle relish. The sandwich tasted good, just like always. This got me thinking, “What really is in tartar sauce?”. My subsequent investigation of the label on the bottle of tartar sauce in my 'fridge, and further readings on the internet, confirmed that Creme of Tartar has no place in tartar sauce. :smack:, mind blown, and ignorance fought. ---
**Author:** ![Ignotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecc23a/32.png) [@Ignotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignotus)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2016, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-real-life-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time/748352/116 "2016-03-16T18:21:14Z")
> [@vertizontal](#): > > My subsequent investigation of the label on the bottle of tartar sauce in my 'fridge, and further readings on the internet, confirmed that Creme of Tartar has no place in tartar sauce. > . Well, there might be some small amount in the pickles. Alum too, for that matter. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2016, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-real-life-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time/748352/117 "2016-03-16T18:50:16Z")
> [@vertizontal](#): > > I’ve been a big fan of **tartar sauce** my whole life. > Also, my whole life, when glancing at a spice rack, I often see **Creme of Tartar**. > I always assumed that Creme of Tartar was a primary ingredient in tartar sauce. > > A few months ago I was at a deli and and asked for tartar sauce on my fish sandwich, but the bin that holds the tartar sauce was just about empty. I watched them replenish the bin by putting in a combination of mayo with pickle relish. The sandwich tasted good, just like always. This got me thinking, “What really is in tartar sauce?”. My subsequent investigation of the label on the bottle of tartar sauce in my 'fridge, and further readings on the internet, confirmed that Creme of Tartar has no place in tartar sauce. > > :smack:, mind blown, and ignorance fought. Neither Tartar Sauce, nor Cream of Tartar has anything to do with _Steak Tartare_. Nor with the _Tartar_ that forms on your teeth. Nor with the tribe of horsemen called _Tatars_ or _Tartars_ (although the dish _Steak Tartare_ WAS named after them.) ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2016, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-real-life-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time/748352/118 "2016-03-16T18:52:24Z")
> [@eclectic\_wench](#): > > That’s a whole other song. heh 🙂 I wondered how long it would take for someone to catch that. ---
**Author:** ![JR\_Brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JR\_Brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JR_Brown)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2016, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-real-life-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time/748352/119 "2016-03-16T18:57:56Z")
Re green jalapeno peppers: > [@Mangetout](#): > > Dunno - if you’re familiar with the concept of ripe and unripe fruit, it should be sort of obvious. Most fruits go from green to something else as they ripen. I’ve encountered several food items which describe themselves as being made with “ripe jalapenos”, or even “perfectly ripe jalapenos”, while showing pictures of green jalapenos / being tinted greenish / containing identifiable chunks of green jalapenos. So I suspect the average person (or at least the average marketing department) has not figured this out yet. Incidentally, this also applies to green bell peppers: they’re just unripe red or yellow bell peppers. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2016, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-real-life-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time/748352/120 "2016-03-16T20:10:00Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Dunno - if you’re familiar with the concept of ripe and unripe fruit, it should be sort of obvious. Most fruits go from green to something else as they ripen. But other unripe fruits aren’t generally eaten in an unripe condition because they taste awful that way. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-real-life-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time/748352.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-real-life-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time/748352.md?page=7)