# Things everyone knew but you **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 1, 2006, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-everyone-knew-but-you/378785 "2006-11-01T21:32:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-everyone-knew-but-you/378785/41 "2006-11-02T20:58:21Z")
Posted in a specialist thread, but applies here too: ‘Torchwood’ is an anagram of ‘Doctor Who’. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-everyone-knew-but-you/378785/42 "2006-11-02T21:09:24Z")
I knew pineapples didn’t grow on trees, but only because (a few years ago when I was well into adulthood) I thought my grandmother was getting senile because she had obviously glued a tiny toy pineapple onto this spiky leafed houseplant in her kitchen! Seriously, Gran almost ended up in a home before she set us all straight. She was indeed growing a pineapple plant and it sprouted a pineapple - a real one! :smack: It’s not just that they so obviously \*ought \*to grow on trees, it’s that they look so ridiculous just sticking up from the plant like that! Intelligent design, my ass! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-everyone-knew-but-you/378785/43 "2006-11-02T21:17:59Z")
Things sure go in cycles around here … pineapples and Arkansas. I love seeing ignorance fought! 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-everyone-knew-but-you/378785/44 "2006-11-02T21:19:54Z")
There’s a town in MA called Worchester, but pronounced “Wister” or some such. Didn’t know this until a year ago. Better yet, Google this town and they give you no idea how to pronounce the name of their town! Looking for tourists, perhaps? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-everyone-knew-but-you/378785/45 "2006-11-02T21:22:52Z")
I thought pineapples came from pineapple trees as well. A few months ago, I was asked why I wear my watch on my dominant hand. I replied I was never told otherwise, and at that point I start noticing that most of the people around me wear their watches on their non-dominant hands. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-everyone-knew-but-you/378785/46 "2006-11-02T21:30:09Z")
[QUOTE=Jake] There’s a town in MA called Worchester, but pronounced “Wister” or some such. Didn’t know this until a year ago. Better yet, Google this town and they give you no idea how to pronounce the name of their town! Looking for tourists, perhaps? 🙂 [/QUOTE] In MD, we have a Worchester County. But it’s pronounced “Wooster.” It’s next to Wicomico County, which is NOT pronounced “Wikko-mikko” but “Why-commih-co.” I got laughed at by by Wicomico-native friend in college. ---
**Author:** ![MelCthefirst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@MelCthefirst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MelCthefirst)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-everyone-knew-but-you/378785/47 "2006-11-02T21:35:15Z")
My older sister the know-it-all loved correcting me on this one: We have a special armed police squad (are usual cops are not armed) that are called in for hostage/dangerous situations etc. They are called the Armed Offenders Squad - I always thought they were the Armed Defenders Squad. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-everyone-knew-but-you/378785/48 "2006-11-02T23:15:01Z")
[QUOTE=MelCthefirst] My older sister the know-it-all loved correcting me on this one: We have a special armed police squad (are usual cops are not armed) that are called in for hostage/dangerous situations etc. They are called the Armed Offenders Squad - I always thought they were the Armed Defenders Squad. [/QUOTE] I’m with you - I’d rather have Armed Defenders around than Armed Offenders! ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-everyone-knew-but-you/378785/49 "2006-11-02T23:29:20Z")
[QUOTE=Jake] There’s a town in MA called Worchester, but pronounced “Wister” or some such. Didn’t know this until a year ago. Better yet, Google this town and they give you no idea how to pronounce the name of their town! Looking for tourists, perhaps? 🙂 [/QUOTE] It’s Worcester. From the English town of Worcester, which also happens to be its sister city. The pronounciation is also taken from the English version. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-everyone-knew-but-you/378785/50 "2006-11-02T23:31:26Z")
[QUOTE=Hypno-Toad] In MD, we have a Worchester County. But it’s pronounced “Wooster.” [/QUOTE] And to further confuse things, we also have Dorchester County, which is pronounced, “Door-chester.” Spelled the same, except for the first letter, but pronounced completely differently. And add me in with the “Pineapples don’t grow on trees?!?” crowd. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-everyone-knew-but-you/378785/51 "2006-11-02T23:37:31Z")
[QUOTE=BiblioCat] And to further confuse things, we also have Dorchester County, which is pronounced, “Door-chester.” Spelled the same, except for the first letter, but pronounced completely differently. [/QUOTE] Again, you can blame the English. Dorchester is the county town of Dorset, as Worcester is of (well, half of) Hereford and Worcestershire. ---
**Author:** ![Martha\_Medea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@Martha\_Medea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martha_Medea)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2006, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-everyone-knew-but-you/378785/52 "2006-11-03T01:18:09Z")
- that plaid (as in tartan) isn’t pronounced “played”. ---
**Author:** ![LilyoftheValley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/54ee81/32.png) [@LilyoftheValley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilyoftheValley)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2006, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-everyone-knew-but-you/378785/53 "2006-11-03T01:27:50Z")
Until about a month ago, I had no clue that Joyce Kilmer was male. ---
**Author:** ![gardentraveler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gardentraveler/32/3576_2.png) [@gardentraveler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gardentraveler)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2006, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-everyone-knew-but-you/378785/54 "2006-11-03T02:27:22Z")
Another member of the “pineapples don’t grow on trees?” contingent. Which doesn’t really seem possible, since I know I’ve seen at least one plant variety that was clearly related to pineapples and wasn’t a tree. The fruit was smaller, but definitely a pineapple-y thing. :smack: And this afternoon I looked more closely at bromeliads in the building where I work. Yep - clearly related. (Wouldn’t have guessed about Spanish moss, though. Plants are always surprising.) GT ---
**Author:** ![padabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/919ad9/32.png) [@padabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/padabe)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2006, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-everyone-knew-but-you/378785/55 "2006-11-03T02:43:40Z")
It took me until the second or third grade to figure out that the Pledge of Allegiance didn’t make any mention of “widget stands.” WTF is a “widget stand”? (Proof that there _are_ stupid questions) ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2006, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-everyone-knew-but-you/378785/56 "2006-11-03T02:46:32Z")
I’m amazed at how many people thought pineapples grew on trees. Not that I expect everyone to be familiar with relatively exotic things like pineapples, but I thought everyone assumed that past a certain size, fruits no longer grew on trees. I grew up across the highway from a large pineapple field, so I guess it was knowledge I took for granted. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2006, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-everyone-knew-but-you/378785/57 "2006-11-03T02:59:44Z")
[QUOTE=AudreyK] I thought everyone assumed that past a certain size, fruits no longer grew on trees. [/QUOTE] You mean like bananas? Coconuts? Well, the latter is a nut, I guess… 🙂 ---
**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:** [November 3, 2006, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-everyone-knew-but-you/378785/58 "2006-11-03T03:12:07Z")
[QUOTE=LilyoftheValley] Until about a month ago, I had no clue that Joyce Kilmer was male. [/QUOTE] You don’t say! :smack: Well, now my ignorance is reduced further. Infinitesimally reduced compared to how much is left, but reduced. ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2006, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-everyone-knew-but-you/378785/59 "2006-11-03T03:19:25Z")
IIRC, coconuts with their husk are about the same size as pineapples sans crowns, both roughly the size of (American) footballs. Husked ones are grapefruit-size. And bananas are bigger only if you take them as a bunch, which is cheating. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2006, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-everyone-knew-but-you/378785/60 "2006-11-03T03:22:54Z")
Okay, here’s mine, discovered moments ago while telling myself how cool I was, knowing about those damned bromeliads and recording _The Seventh Seal_. (Ahem) _The Exorcist_. That was [Max Von Sydow?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_von_Sydow). Holy Shit. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-everyone-knew-but-you/378785.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-everyone-knew-but-you/378785.md?page=4)