Posted in a specialist thread, but applies here too:
‘Torchwood’ is an anagram of ‘Doctor Who’.
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! 
Things sure go in cycles around here … pineapples and Arkansas. I love seeing ignorance fought! 
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? 
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.
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.
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.
I’m with you - I’d rather have Armed Defenders around than Armed Offenders!
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.
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.
Again, you can blame the English. Dorchester is the county town of Dorset, as Worcester is of (well, half of) Hereford and Worcestershire.
- that plaid (as in tartan) isn’t pronounced “played”.
Until about a month ago, I had no clue that Joyce Kilmer was male.
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
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)
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.
You mean like bananas? Coconuts? Well, the latter is a nut, I guess…
You don’t say!
:smack:
Well, now my ignorance is reduced further. Infinitesimally reduced compared to how much is left, but reduced.
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.
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?.
Holy Shit.