# Ridiculously obvious stuff you just got

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculously-obvious-stuff-you-just-got/444401>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [April 8, 2008, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculously-obvious-stuff-you-just-got/444401 "2008-04-08T00:27:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Natch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/858c86/32.png) [@Natch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Natch)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculously-obvious-stuff-you-just-got/444401/21 "2008-04-08T11:02:38Z")

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A couple months ago I laughed myself silly at a friend who hadn’t realised until that moment that cobwebs are the same as spider webs.

‘But I thought cobwebs were just build up of dust and crap in the corners of the room! They’re spider webs?!?’

Something to do with cobwebs being inside and spider webs being outside. Watching the moment of realisation dawn on his face was priceless!

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**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculously-obvious-stuff-you-just-got/444401/22 "2008-04-08T11:10:42Z")

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[QUOTE=KneadToKnow]  
_The Matrix_. Morpheus believes Neo is “The One.”

What just occurred to me the other day? _Neo_ and _one_ are anagrams.

:smack:  
[/QUOTE]

No kidding…huh

I’m sure there’ll be more in this thread. For instance I’d also assumed Arby’s refered to Roast Beef

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**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculously-obvious-stuff-you-just-got/444401/23 "2008-04-08T11:14:17Z")

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[QUOTE=Natch!]  
A couple months ago I laughed myself silly at a friend who hadn’t realised until that moment that cobwebs are the same as spider webs.

‘But I thought cobwebs were just build up of dust and crap in the corners of the room! They’re spider webs?!?’

Something to do with cobwebs being inside and spider webs being outside. Watching the moment of realisation dawn on his face was priceless!  
[/QUOTE]

Well, I just learned this!

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**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculously-obvious-stuff-you-just-got/444401/24 "2008-04-08T11:21:54Z")

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[QUOTE=installLSC]  
It wasn’t until I mentioned it at work a couple of years ago that I realized the intended joke with character names in the Winnie the Pooh series. There was one character named Kanga whose son was named Roo. I didn’t realize that you put them together to form Kangaroo :smack: . What’s really embarassing is that both characters are pretty obviously kangaroos.  
[/QUOTE]

You think that’s bad? It took me until a couple of years ago to realize that Rabbit was supposed to be male.

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**Author:** ![Tristan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tristan/32/18058_2.png) [@Tristan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tristan)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculously-obvious-stuff-you-just-got/444401/25 "2008-04-08T11:36:24Z")

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[QUOTE=Natch!]  
A couple months ago I laughed myself silly at a friend who hadn’t realised until that moment that cobwebs are the same as spider webs.

‘But I thought cobwebs were just build up of dust and crap in the corners of the room! They’re spider webs?!?’

Something to do with cobwebs being inside and spider webs being outside. Watching the moment of realisation dawn on his face was priceless!  
[/QUOTE]

My wife thinks this. I have tried to convince her of the truth, but she doesn’t want to hear that at all.

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**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculously-obvious-stuff-you-just-got/444401/26 "2008-04-08T12:11:27Z")

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Speaking of sports teams, it was years before I realized the University of Connecticut’s teams were the “Yukon Huskies.” I heard the phrase “Yukon Huskies” mentioned on sports reports about a thousand times before it dawned on me they were actually talking about the “UConn Huskies.” :smack:

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**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:** [April 8, 2008, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculously-obvious-stuff-you-just-got/444401/27 "2008-04-08T12:13:41Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> Boulder, CO has the Bus Stop, as it’s silly name topless bar. Many a naive freshman at CU has taken the wrong cab. Or right, maybe.

Maybe it refers to “Bust Top”.

> [@](#):
>
> I’m sure there’ll be more in this thread. For instance I’d also assumed Arby’s refered to Roast Beef

It does.

I know that the chain is now claiming that it really stands for something else, but “RB”, pronounced “Arby”, used to be standard slang/designation for a Roast Beef sandwich in eateries. Even if Arby’s is completely on the level (which I doubt), they were definitely influenced by that common and ubiquitous usage.

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**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculously-obvious-stuff-you-just-got/444401/28 "2008-04-08T13:13:10Z")

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This one is embarrassing to have to post but the Kay Jewelers commercial that goes “Every kiss begins with Kay” only recently dawned on my granddaughter who is now in college. That priceless expression change mentioned above had to be the highlight of the day for me.

It is really amusing to find the origins or etymologies of slang words and expressions. I enjoy reading the dictionary for said amusement and have several books devoted to catch phrases and slang that are packed with things like this.

One of the things I will do to words, in addition to the anagramming, is to say them backwards or the way they’re misspelled on signs (or when the letter for the sign wasn’t available and they used another one upside down).

Examples:

Kroger is Regork  
Big Star (erstwhile local supermarket) is Big Rats  
Car Mash (they must have lost their W)

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**Author:** ![ASAKMOTSD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/919ad9/32.png) [@ASAKMOTSD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASAKMOTSD)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculously-obvious-stuff-you-just-got/444401/29 "2008-04-08T13:18:15Z")

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[QUOTE=CalMeacham]  
I know that the chain is now claiming that it really stands for something else, but “RB”, pronounced “Arby”, used to be standard slang/designation for a Roast Beef sandwich in eateries. Even if Arby’s is completely on the level (which I doubt), they were definitely influenced by that common and ubiquitous usage.  
[/QUOTE]

Another interesting bit of trivia - the largest Arby’s franchiser was (at one time anyway) a company called “Sybra”. Sybra is “Arby’s” spelled backwards.

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**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculously-obvious-stuff-you-just-got/444401/30 "2008-04-08T14:04:17Z")

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[QUOTE=installLSC]  
It wasn’t until I mentioned it at work a couple of years ago that I realized the intended joke with character names in the Winnie the Pooh series. There was one character named Kanga whose son was named Roo. I didn’t realize that you put them together to form Kangaroo :smack: . What’s really embarassing is that both characters are pretty obviously kangaroos.  
[/QUOTE]

Not quite as obvious to those of us on this side of the pond, but it finally occurred to me one day that “Eeyore” is the Brit speak equivalent of “hee-haw”.

:smack:

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**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculously-obvious-stuff-you-just-got/444401/31 "2008-04-08T14:20:37Z")

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My boyfriend does commercials for the local ballet company. I have lived here all my life, hearing their advertisements and such. Their phone number is something - 2222.

_He_ just realized a few months ago and had to tell me - tutu tutu!

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**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculously-obvious-stuff-you-just-got/444401/32 "2008-04-08T14:58:16Z")

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[QUOTE=Kizarvexius]  
Not quite as obvious to those of us on this side of the pond, but it finally occurred to me one day that “Eeyore” is the Brit speak equivalent of “hee-haw”.

:smack:  
[/QUOTE]

:smack:

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**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculously-obvious-stuff-you-just-got/444401/33 "2008-04-08T15:57:15Z")

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[QUOTE=Zsofia]  
My boyfriend does commercials for the local ballet company. I have lived here all my life, hearing their advertisements and such. Their phone number is something - 2222.

_He_ just realized a few months ago and had to tell me - tutu tutu!  
[/QUOTE]

Wonder what they say at the end of the ballet version of _Julius Caesar_

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**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculously-obvious-stuff-you-just-got/444401/34 "2008-04-08T16:53:00Z")

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I just realized last week that the [Aldi’s](http://www.aldifoods.com/index_ENU_HTML.htm) food store logo actually has a portion of a capital “A” in it and isn’t just some random design.

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**Author:** ![Bibby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@Bibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bibby)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculously-obvious-stuff-you-just-got/444401/35 "2008-04-08T17:07:16Z")

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[QUOTE=OpalCat]  
Psst! Just took this for ya, for the hell of it: [TD’s!](http://gallery.opalcat.com/albums/OpalCat2008/tds.jpg)  
[/QUOTE]

😃  
Bibby

We now return you to your reggggguuuularly scheduled thread …

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**Author:** ![Flander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Flander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flander)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculously-obvious-stuff-you-just-got/444401/36 "2008-04-08T17:32:45Z")

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[QUOTE=OpalCat]  
Psst! Just took this for ya, for the hell of it: [TD’s!](http://gallery.opalcat.com/albums/OpalCat2008/tds.jpg)  
[/QUOTE]

So, is there a long line to get into the **OpalCat** fan club? 😃

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**Author:** ![uncle\_squeegee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b5e925/32.png) [@uncle\_squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/uncle_squeegee)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculously-obvious-stuff-you-just-got/444401/37 "2008-04-08T17:39:44Z")

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I’ve seen the movie “This is Spinal Tap” about 20 times. I thought I must have caught every joke/pun/reference. During the last viewing a couple years ago, they mention a music festival on the “Isle of Lucy.” Which I suddenly realized is an homage to “I Love Lucy.”

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**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculously-obvious-stuff-you-just-got/444401/38 "2008-04-08T17:41:00Z")

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[QUOTE=Zeldar]  
This one is embarrassing to have to post but the Kay Jewelers commercial that goes “Every kiss begins with Kay” only recently dawned on my granddaughter who is now in college. That priceless expression change mentioned above had to be the highlight of the day for me.

snipped  
[/QUOTE]

I had this realization too about a month ago. I got up one morning with the “Every kiss begins with Kay” jingle on constant loop in my brain, when it suddenly dawned on me that indeed every kiss begins with “k”. :smack: I was going to start a thread on it, but didn’t want to advertise my stupidity.

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**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculously-obvious-stuff-you-just-got/444401/39 "2008-04-08T17:44:22Z")

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[QUOTE=Rocketeer]  
:smack:  
[/QUOTE]

Ditto that. :smack: :smack:

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ridiculously-obvious-stuff-you-just-got/444401/40 "2008-04-08T17:49:17Z")

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[QUOTE=NightRabbit]  
It took a thread similar to this one for me to realize that michelangelo’s statue of david is the _same_ david as the one from david and goliath. I knew they were both david, I just… didn’t connect the dots.  
[/QUOTE]

Don’t feel too bad - to my knowledge, our boy Mike basically took a big piece of marble that had a flaw in its shape but was huge and of high quality otherwise and boasted that he could make something with it, so Florence let him have it. He figured out that a young man would fit in that shape - and I suspect only then figured out which young man he would craft. Back in the day, sometimes artists wanted to paint, sculpt, etc. a certain image - but with religious restrictions, they had to stay within what was “okay” - I suspect that’s why St. Sebastian got painted a lot - a man stripped naked and tied to a tree (okay, and pierced with arrows) was an okay way to paint a naked man…I seem to recall that that is what happened here with Mike and the Marble…and his vision of a nude young man (not that Michaelangelo had any issues with sculpting nude young men… 😉 )

For my entry on this - for the longest time, I didn’t realize that there wasn’t a word “fernanzer” - as in “he wouldn’t take no fernanzer” - well, gosh, who would? 😛 I can’t recall how I came to realize it was “he wouldn’t take “no” for an answer…” but it was a :smack: moment for me…

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