# Things you didn't know were real until you were an adult **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 2, 2013, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-didnt-know-were-real-until-you-were-an-adult/672906 "2013-11-02T03:51:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2013, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-didnt-know-were-real-until-you-were-an-adult/672906/41 "2013-11-04T16:06:16Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Not only was I surprised to learn there are no pineapple trees, but I’m pretty sure I’ve been surprised to learn it _multiple times_. That is, someone told me, then I forgot, went back to assuming they grow on trees, and then someone surprised me with the information again. Yes, this is a tough one. Now it’s in my head but I get unaccountably mad every time I see pineapple plants. Grrr. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2013, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-didnt-know-were-real-until-you-were-an-adult/672906/42 "2013-11-04T16:20:00Z")
Loved chessesteaks growing up and always thought that someday I wanted to try an authentic Philly Cheesesteak. Didn’t find out till I was an adult that to be authentic they had to be made with Cheeze Whiz. Ugh. I think I’ll pass. My grandparents used to feed me blood tongue sandwiches when I was a kid and I remember loving the stuff. My older sisters were disgusted and often told me how gross it was that I was eating cows tongue and blood. “Pssh, please, you really think I’d eat cow’s tongue and blood? They just call it that because that’s what it looks like. That’s not what it really is.” When I was older and found out they weren’t lying to me: :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2013, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-didnt-know-were-real-until-you-were-an-adult/672906/43 "2013-11-04T17:22:51Z")
Along those lines, head cheese. Certainly, this is just a joke, right? Somebody needed some insanely disgusting “food” for a story or something, and just thought up this concept, and no actual human being has ever consumed such a substance, right? Later on, I found out that, yes, head cheese is a real thing… :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2013, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-didnt-know-were-real-until-you-were-an-adult/672906/44 "2013-11-04T17:52:24Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > When I was a kid, I had no idea that gypsies were real. I thought they were fairy-tale creatures, like elves, dwarves, etc. I was going to post the same. I had no idea at all. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2013, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-didnt-know-were-real-until-you-were-an-adult/672906/45 "2013-11-04T18:27:25Z")
> [@Emtar\_KronJonDerSohn](#): > > Draft registration. When I turned 18 I got a post card from Selective Service saying they would do bad things to me if I didn’t register with them. Out of curiosity, what year was that? When I turned 18 (1990), it was very well known that Selective Service = military draft registration. I’m a bit of a military history buff, but everyone my age knew it- I think it was an effect of the 1st Gulf War and the hyperbolic claims of tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of casualties, etc… and musings about resuming the draft in the media. As for the OP’s question, I guess it was when I went to college that I really learned just how absolutely fucking shady a lot of people are. I mean, my family’s pretty much a gang of Boy Scouts, and nobody did anything shady or sketchy or morally questionable that I ever knew about. High school was much the same way- I went to an all-boys private school, so a lot of the lying, cheating and stealing stories I did hear were second or third hand. Then in college, it was like some sort of orgy of cheating on tests, cheating on SOs, thieving, bald-faced lying, sketchy rationalizations, etc… and things haven’t really changed out of college. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2013, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-didnt-know-were-real-until-you-were-an-adult/672906/46 "2013-11-04T18:29:28Z")
Not an adult, exactly, but I was an adolescent when I learned that hating Jewish people is a Thing. I was aware, of course, that there were lots of different religions out there. The thought, however, of someone singling one of them out for hatred just seemed absolutely baffling to me. I understand the historical context and everything now, of course, but deep down, it still seems utterly bizarre, like hating people with type A blood or people who like chocolate. ---
**Author:** ![llcoolbj77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/eb9ed0/32.png) [@llcoolbj77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/llcoolbj77)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2013, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-didnt-know-were-real-until-you-were-an-adult/672906/47 "2013-11-04T18:54:47Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > Not an adult, exactly, but I was an adolescent when I learned that hating Jewish people is a Thing. I was aware, of course, that there were lots of different religions out there. The thought, however, of someone singling one of them out for hatred just seemed absolutely baffling to me. I understand the historical context and everything now, of course, but deep down, it still seems utterly bizarre, like hating people with type A blood or people who like chocolate. This. I grew up, mostly, in Northern Virginia. It is a melting pot. But I just never noticed any legit anti-Semitism. In college, someone said, “that girl is such a JAP.” I was very confused because she certainly did not look Japanese. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2013, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-didnt-know-were-real-until-you-were-an-adult/672906/48 "2013-11-04T18:59:47Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Out of curiosity, what year was that? > > When I turned 18 (1990), it was very well known that Selective Service = military draft registration. I’m a bit of a military history buff, but everyone my age knew it- I think it was an effect of the 1st Gulf War and the hyperbolic claims of tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of casualties, etc… and musings about resuming the draft in the media. It was also well known when I turned 18 in 1985. ---
**Author:** ![PaulParkhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PaulParkhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulParkhead)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2013, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-didnt-know-were-real-until-you-were-an-adult/672906/49 "2013-11-04T19:15:00Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Out of curiosity, what year was that? > > When I turned 18 (1990), it was very well known that Selective Service = military draft registration. I’m a bit of a military history buff, but everyone my age knew it- I think it was an effect of the 1st Gulf War and the hyperbolic claims of tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of casualties, etc… and musings about resuming the draft in the media. I read the post as expressing incredulity that the Selective Service had a list of people they needed to contact to add to a list. ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2013, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-didnt-know-were-real-until-you-were-an-adult/672906/50 "2013-11-04T22:31:53Z")
It’s even weirder when they mailed mine to me at Ft. Benning GA. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2013, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-didnt-know-were-real-until-you-were-an-adult/672906/51 "2013-11-04T23:51:45Z")
> [@PaulParkhead](#): > > I read the post as expressing incredulity that the Selective Service had a list of people they needed to contact to add to a list. Yeah I got that too, “a list of people that have to register to get put on a list? what’s up with that?” ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2013, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-didnt-know-were-real-until-you-were-an-adult/672906/52 "2013-11-05T00:01:21Z")
When I first heard about the Flat Earth Society, I thought it was just kind of social club that used the name as a joke. I think I was in my twenties when I found out that yes, they really believe that shit. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2013, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-didnt-know-were-real-until-you-were-an-adult/672906/53 "2013-11-05T00:07:26Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Not only was I surprised to learn there are no pineapple trees, but I’m pretty sure I’ve been surprised to learn it _multiple times_. That is, someone told me, then I forgot, went back to assuming they grow on trees, and then someone surprised me with the information again. Here’s the way to remember it: [Pineapples](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/Ghana_pineapple_field.jpg)are [triffids](http://www.maxon.net/typo3temp/pics/278bce58d6.jpg) in disguise! ---
**Author:** ![Emtar\_KronJonDerSohn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/58956e/32.png) [@Emtar\_KronJonDerSohn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emtar_KronJonDerSohn)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2013, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-didnt-know-were-real-until-you-were-an-adult/672906/54 "2013-11-05T00:10:31Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Out of curiosity, what year was that? > > When I turned 18 (1990), it was very well known that Selective Service = military draft registration. I’m a bit of a military history buff, but everyone my age knew it- I think it was an effect of the 1st Gulf War and the hyperbolic claims of tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of casualties, etc… and musings about resuming the draft in the media. It would have been 1999. I knew selective service was the proper name for the draft or military conscription, I knew stories of both of my grandfathers being drafted (one during WWII, the other during The Korean War), and of course I knew about Vietnam draft card burning and compulsory military service in Israel and many Latin American countries, but I did not know there was a constant and standing registration effort during peacetime in the United States. The rhetoric I remember from the Gulf War was “they’re bringing back the draft” as if it was currently disused. I guess I thought of the draft like punch-card computing; it’s a real thing, it was once widespread, people I know were exposed to it, in certain circumstances it still has has a practical application (a player piano or a ballot), but in general it’s not how things are done. And yeah; what’s up with a list of people to nag into signing up for a list which contains the same information as the nag list? ---
**Author:** ![HubZilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2013, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-didnt-know-were-real-until-you-were-an-adult/672906/55 "2013-11-05T01:45:34Z")
The Eastern Front in World War II, which I knew very little until I grew up. And (I thought) I was quite the WWII buff: The Germans attacked the Russians and had wild success. Mainly because Stalin wouldn’t allow his soldiers to retreat. The Nazi’s almost won until the winter set in, then the Germans, just like Napoleon, got stuck in the mud and cold without winter coats. The US sent Russia a bunch of tanks and trucks, and this allowed them to turn the tide at Stalingrad (mainly by human-wave attrition attacks). Then we invaded during D-Day, which relieved pressure on the Russians, allowing us to both attack simultaneously and win the war. Despite us saving them from Hitler, they still started the Cold War. I should add, most of this summary was pre-USSR-collapse, before their records were released. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2013, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-didnt-know-were-real-until-you-were-an-adult/672906/56 "2013-11-05T02:42:46Z")
I was stunned when I discovered narcs were a real thing and not just a movie plot device. Sending grown adults as undercover children to bust a couple of pot dealers seemed hilariously over the top. ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2013, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-didnt-know-were-real-until-you-were-an-adult/672906/57 "2013-11-05T03:11:26Z")
> [@HubZilla](#): > > The Eastern Front in World War II, which I knew very little until I grew up. And (I thought) I was quite the WWII buff: > > The Germans attacked the Russians and had wild success. Mainly because Stalin wouldn’t allow his soldiers to retreat. The Nazi’s almost won until the winter set in, then the Germans, just like Napoleon, got stuck in the mud and cold without winter coats. The US sent Russia a bunch of tanks and trucks, and this allowed them to turn the tide at Stalingrad (mainly by human-wave attrition attacks). Then we invaded during D-Day, which relieved pressure on the Russians, allowing us to both attack simultaneously and win the war. > > Despite us saving them from Hitler, they still started the Cold War. > > I should add, most of this summary was pre-USSR-collapse, before their records were released. Not to be snarky, but you should read some more books. ---
**Author:** ![moejoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@moejoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moejoe)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2013, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-didnt-know-were-real-until-you-were-an-adult/672906/58 "2013-11-05T03:16:55Z")
Sea horses. I guess I’d heard that they’re unique in that the male carries the babies, but I kind of always thought of them as some kind of Disney creation until I saw one in a tank at a pet store as an adult. I couldn’t stop looking at it and I turned to my son and said “it’s…real” and got the duh mom look. I don’t think they’re even all that rare, but seeing one in person was like witnessing magic. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2013, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-didnt-know-were-real-until-you-were-an-adult/672906/59 "2013-11-05T03:21:40Z")
Political awareness, and the fact that different political parties had different platforms. Politics was not a family dinner discussion in my family. I had moved out of my parents house and lived 400 odd miles away in my early 20s and knew nothing about politics. I didn’t know what right-wing, or left-wing meant. I didn’t know that each party had long-standing political stances on things like unions, and the military, and taxation; I was clueless. So, to sum it up, I didn’t realize that political parties had actual stances until I was well into my 20s. I assumed they were the exact same and had no idea who to vote for. This was never, ever discussed in my family when I was growing up. ---
**Author:** ![Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harvey_The_Heavy)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2013, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-didnt-know-were-real-until-you-were-an-adult/672906/60 "2013-11-05T12:04:59Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > When I was a kid, I had no idea that gypsies were real. I thought they were fairy-tale creatures, like elves, dwarves, etc. I think I knew they were a real thing, but I was an adult when I found out they still existed. I figured they were something that died out around the middle ages at the latest. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-didnt-know-were-real-until-you-were-an-adult/672906.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-didnt-know-were-real-until-you-were-an-adult/672906.md?page=4)