# Simple thing you finally figured out that made you feel stupid
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-thing-you-finally-figured-out-that-made-you-feel-stupid/306805
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [June 4, 2005, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-thing-you-finally-figured-out-that-made-you-feel-stupid/306805 "2005-06-04T00:00:26Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2005, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-thing-you-finally-figured-out-that-made-you-feel-stupid/306805/1 "2005-06-04T00:00:26Z")
…or “Things That Make You Go :smack:”
Ever run across something that confounds you and when you finally figure it out, you fell like a first class dolt?
Waaaaayyyyy back in the early 80s, The Police came out with [_Ghost in the Machine_](http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000002GF4.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg).
I bought the album and looked at the cover. I said, “what the hell is that supposed to be? Okay, it’s something digital, I get that much.”
It would be several hours before I figured it out:
It’s an LED representation of the three members of the band!
:smack:
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### Author:  [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2005, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-thing-you-finally-figured-out-that-made-you-feel-stupid/306805/2 "2005-06-04T00:06:51Z")
Does it count if I didn’t figure it out myself?
My friend showed me that the silverware basket in the dishwasher is removable. How handy!
Another time, she showed me how to open just the glass part of the hatchback on my car. Who knew? (apparantly eveyone else in the world)
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### Author:  [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2005, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-thing-you-finally-figured-out-that-made-you-feel-stupid/306805/3 "2005-06-04T00:11:49Z")
There’s a show on the local PBS station called _Louisiana: The State We’re In_. On seeing the show listed in the TV guide, I loudly proclaim to my mom, “_Louisiana: The State We’re In_?! Well, of **course** it’s the state we’re in! Geez!” After my mom finished laughing, she explained it was a play on words. :smack:
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### Author:  [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2005, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-thing-you-finally-figured-out-that-made-you-feel-stupid/306805/4 "2005-06-04T00:20:56Z")
A kip (a unit of measurement common in civil engineering equals 1000 pounds) stands for **ki** lo **p** ound. :smack: I’ve used kips for years and never realized that’s where the word came from.
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### Author:  [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2005, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-thing-you-finally-figured-out-that-made-you-feel-stupid/306805/5 "2005-06-04T00:26:34Z")
Back when Cub Hubby was in the Army, one of his young soldiers enthusiastically told me about this cool new measurement of distance the Army was using these days: “klicks”. He was a bit deflated when I told him that was just slang for “kilometers.”
Yeah, I felt a bit sorry afterwards.
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### Author:  [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2005, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-thing-you-finally-figured-out-that-made-you-feel-stupid/306805/6 "2005-06-04T00:33:57Z")
> [@Cub Mistress](#):
>
> He was a bit deflated when I told him that was just slang for “kilometers.”
Wow. Now I’m a bit deflated too. I never knew that!!
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### Author:  [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2005, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-thing-you-finally-figured-out-that-made-you-feel-stupid/306805/7 "2005-06-04T01:19:17Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#):
>
> …or “Things That Make You Go :smack:”
>
> Ever run across something that confounds you and when you finally figure it out, you fell like a first class dolt?
>
> Waaaaayyyyy back in the early 80s, The Police came out with [_Ghost in the Machine_](http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000002GF4.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg).
>
> I bought the album and looked at the cover. I said, “what the hell is that supposed to be? Okay, it’s something digital, I get that much.”
>
> It would be several hours before I figured it out:
>
> It’s an LED representation of the three members of the band!
>
> :smack:
If it makes you feel any better, I _still_ don’t get it.
As for me, I was well into my mid-20’s before I found out that when something goes wrong, it goes a-_wry_, not _aw_-ree.
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### Author:  [@Nic2004](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nic2004)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2005, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-thing-you-finally-figured-out-that-made-you-feel-stupid/306805/8 "2005-06-04T01:34:29Z")
For most of my life I thought it was “Beck and Call” then come to find it’s “Beckon Call” :smack: Makes a bit more sense.
As a child, I also thought the classic sci-fi movie was " The Daily Earth Stood Still", learning later it was “_The Day the Earth Stood Still_”. Sheeesh!
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### Author:  [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2005, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-thing-you-finally-figured-out-that-made-you-feel-stupid/306805/9 "2005-06-04T01:36:28Z")
> [@DooWahDiddy](#):
>
> If it makes you feel any better, I _still_ don’t get it.
[Look at this](http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-1/584173/POLICE.jpg)
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### Author:  [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2005, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-thing-you-finally-figured-out-that-made-you-feel-stupid/306805/10 "2005-06-04T01:41:40Z")
> [@Nicodemus2004](#):
>
> For most of my life I thought it was “Beck and Call” then come to find it’s “Beckon Call” :smack: Makes a bit more sense.
Actually, [“beck and call”](http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/beckon.html) is correct.
And thanks **Mr. Blue Sky**! But, uh, I still don’t see it. Are they facing the camera, or in profile?
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### Author:  [@Elladogga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elladogga)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2005, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-thing-you-finally-figured-out-that-made-you-feel-stupid/306805/11 "2005-06-04T01:45:10Z")
Nope, I don’t get it either.
And you & I Might be thesame person, 'cuz was in grade 13 before I learned how to pronounce “awry” (doesn’t “aw-ree” just sound so much more descriptive?)
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### Author:  [@Elladogga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elladogga)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2005, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-thing-you-finally-figured-out-that-made-you-feel-stupid/306805/12 "2005-06-04T01:46:28Z")
> [@Elladogga](#):
>
> Nope, I don’t get it either.
> And you & I Might be thesame person, 'cuz was in grade 13 before I learned how to pronounce “awry” (doesn’t “aw-ree” just sound so much more descriptive?)
oops, sorry! My reply was to DooWahDiddy.
Wow, this board moves fast!
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### Author:  [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2005, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-thing-you-finally-figured-out-that-made-you-feel-stupid/306805/13 "2005-06-04T01:51:14Z")
> [@DooWahDiddy](#):
>
> And thanks **Mr. Blue Sky**! But, uh, I still don’t see it. Are they facing the camera, or in profile?
They are facing the camera. The vertical segment under the eye is the nose and below that is the mouth. Each figure has it’s right eye closed.
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### Author:  [@Dinaroozie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinaroozie)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2005, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-thing-you-finally-figured-out-that-made-you-feel-stupid/306805/14 "2005-06-04T01:55:27Z")
> [@](#):
>
> From **DooWahDiddy** :
> I found out that when something goes wrong, it goes a-wry, not aw-ree.
Heh - I only found that out recently, too. The wrong pronunciation always seemed more appropriate to me, but I guess I just got used to it.
I recently figured out why a touch-screen can detect the average of two points, but can’t detect the points themselves. I know that’s kind of obscure, but I’d been mystified by that for a long time.
~ Isaac
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### Author:  [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2005, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-thing-you-finally-figured-out-that-made-you-feel-stupid/306805/15 "2005-06-04T01:56:28Z")
If Jack helps you off the elephant, would you help Jack off the elephant?
Jack off jack off :smack:
oh, jag off :eek:
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### Author:  [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2005, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-thing-you-finally-figured-out-that-made-you-feel-stupid/306805/16 "2005-06-04T02:00:27Z")
From those porno cartoon mags my older brother had, I thought beaver was black panties. :eek:
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### Author:  [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2005, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-thing-you-finally-figured-out-that-made-you-feel-stupid/306805/17 "2005-06-04T02:00:50Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#):
>
> They are facing the camera. The vertical segment under the eye is the nose and below that is the mouth. Each figure has it’s right eye closed.
Got it!! I could never do those 3-D eye things either. Thanks!
And I’m glad to see I’m not alone with “things going aw-ree”. 😉
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### Author:  [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2005, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-thing-you-finally-figured-out-that-made-you-feel-stupid/306805/18 "2005-06-04T02:11:11Z")
I was lousy at grilling things on my little Weber charcoal grill for **years** : if I grilled them on the lower grill, then they were way too close to the (tiny layer of) charcoal that I could fit in, and if I cooked them on the upper grill, then I had to fill the bottom of the thing with nearly half a bag of charcoal in order to get the heat close enough to the food.
Then one day, it occurred to me that I could **put the charcoal on the lower grill**. The food came out beautifully, and manlier men for miles around mock me to this day.
Daniel
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### Author:  [@Queen\_Tonya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Tonya)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2005, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-thing-you-finally-figured-out-that-made-you-feel-stupid/306805/19 "2005-06-04T02:11:29Z")
Realizing that north-south highways are odd numbered and east-west are even was quite the revelation for me. I might have been told when I was learning to drive as a kid and it just didn’t stick for me, but it was a huge “Oh hey, wow, lookit this, does anyone else know this!?” moment for about 30 seconds until I realized everyone knew about it 'cept me.
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### Author:  [@exastris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/exastris)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2005, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-thing-you-finally-figured-out-that-made-you-feel-stupid/306805/20 "2005-06-04T02:20:58Z")
[AC/DC]
Dirrr-ty deeds and a thun-der jeep!
Dirrr-ty deeds and a thun-der jeep!
[/AC/DC]
:smack:
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