# Totally wrong stuff you believed to an embarrassingly advanced age **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 18, 2007, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/totally-wrong-stuff-you-believed-to-an-embarrassingly-advanced-age/408477 "2007-06-18T16:42:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 15
**Author:** ![JustAnotherGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/58f4c7/32.png) [@JustAnotherGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustAnotherGeek)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/totally-wrong-stuff-you-believed-to-an-embarrassingly-advanced-age/408477/281 "2007-06-21T14:38:29Z")
No wonder The Master gets frustrated! He can’t even get through to all of us! [… 🙂🙂 … 🙂🆒🆒🙂 🙂🆒🆒🙂 … 🙂🙂 … … 😛 … … 😛 … … 😛 … … 😛 …](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_268.html) Alright, alright! I promise to never do that again! I’ll attend Smilies Anonymous, I swear! ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/totally-wrong-stuff-you-believed-to-an-embarrassingly-advanced-age/408477/282 "2007-06-21T14:43:16Z")
[QUOTE=Anaamika] Did I say you can’t tell him to quit it? As a matter of fact I like it to be clean of that stuff, too. But that stuff is less jarring. [/QUOTE] That’s because it’s not your ox that’s being gored, hon. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/totally-wrong-stuff-you-believed-to-an-embarrassingly-advanced-age/408477/283 "2007-06-21T14:44:13Z")
[QUOTE=Malacandra] That’s because it’s not your ox that’s being gored, hon. 🆒 [/QUOTE] Is that a Brit saying? Can’t say I’ve ever heard it before. 🙂 But you’re right, everyone’s got their own pet peeves. ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/totally-wrong-stuff-you-believed-to-an-embarrassingly-advanced-age/408477/284 "2007-06-21T14:47:22Z")
[QUOTE=whole bean] \… Edward M. “Teddy” or “Ted” Kennedy [/QUOTE] This is the one that I’ve never understood. Teddy/Ted should come from Theodore (though, I don’t get that one either). Ed is already a perfectly acceptable shortening of Edward, and keeping in line with the laws of “Letter conservation,” and it’s “Syllable reduction philosophy”. Don’t go adding on more letters, which don’t appear in the original version anyway! Granted, I’m the third of three Eds in my family, but I was able to reject the “Ted” moniker (publicly anyway) in Jr. High. Drove my family nuts, and still humors Mrs. Butler when we attend my family’s functions. I also shared a room in college with another Ted/Ed… ring ring… Is Ted there? Which one, tall blonde, or short brunette? - Repeat with the Ed name. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/totally-wrong-stuff-you-believed-to-an-embarrassingly-advanced-age/408477/285 "2007-06-21T14:48:57Z")
[QUOTE=whole bean] Jack/John is not uncommon, even to this day. In fact, I assume a Jack is really John just as I would assume a Betty or Beth is Elizabeth. [/QUOTE] I would have up until maybe the last ten years, when Jack on its own, and Jackson, have become very popular. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/totally-wrong-stuff-you-believed-to-an-embarrassingly-advanced-age/408477/286 "2007-06-21T15:05:57Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] I’ve made a conscious decision to always pronounce it “pry-mer”, to promote what seems a more reasonable pronunciation. “Primmer” is, at best, a bizarre vestige. (I’ve never thought it was “British”, and never heard that asserted.) I feel the same way about “impious”, which, according to the dictionaries, ought to be “IMP-ee-us”. I pronounce it “im-PIE-us”, which makes much more sense. Or I would, if I ever did pronounce it aloud. I never seem to get the opportunity. I also aspirate the “H” and use the indefinite"a" in constructions like “a historic occasion”. “an historic occasion” sounds stilted and affected and simply wrong. I certainly do pronounce that “h”. [/QUOTE] _Sticks fingers in ears_ Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! If you think that a hhistorical prymer on pineapple trees is im-PIE-us, then you have another thinG coming! Makes me want to forget my troubles by drinking a frah-pay in Copely Square. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/totally-wrong-stuff-you-believed-to-an-embarrassingly-advanced-age/408477/287 "2007-06-21T15:14:46Z")
[QUOTE=Anaamika] Is that a Brit saying? Can’t say I’ve ever heard it before. 🙂 But you’re right, everyone’s got their own pet peeves. [/QUOTE] It’s a Judeo-Christian one, which probably accounts for it. Alluding to the Law of Moses stipulating reparations to be paid in the event of someone’s ox goring someone else’s; hence, by extension, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/totally-wrong-stuff-you-believed-to-an-embarrassingly-advanced-age/408477/288 "2007-06-21T15:31:54Z")
[QUOTE=butler1850] This is the one that I’ve never understood. Teddy/Ted should come from Theodore (though, I don’t get that one either). Ed is already a perfectly acceptable shortening of Edward, and keeping in line with the laws of “Letter conservation,” and it’s “Syllable reduction philosophy”. Don’t go adding on more letters, which don’t appear in the original version anyway! [/QUOTE] It’s a British English thing again - never afraid to add extra letters! I think it’s the same deal with Ned, although that may well be explicable as a contraction of “mine Edward”. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/totally-wrong-stuff-you-believed-to-an-embarrassingly-advanced-age/408477/289 "2007-06-21T15:36:52Z")
[QUOTE=Struan] It’s a British English thing again - never afraid to add extra letters! I think it’s the same deal with Ned, although that may well be explicable as a contraction of “mine Edward”. [/QUOTE] Additionally, William, Willy, Will, Wills, Billy and Bill will all be interested to hear this discussion. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/totally-wrong-stuff-you-believed-to-an-embarrassingly-advanced-age/408477/290 "2007-06-21T15:55:25Z")
Rob, Bob, Hob, Dob and Nob concur. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/totally-wrong-stuff-you-believed-to-an-embarrassingly-advanced-age/408477/291 "2007-06-21T16:21:31Z")
[QUOTE=Bootis] Huh? Anyways, I’ve always known flaccid was pronounced “flacksid” and that “flassid” is incorrect, but I always thought it was spelled F-L-A-X-S-E-E-D :eek: [/QUOTE] I may have missed something since this is a long thread but “flassid” is not incorrect. Some of the references I found have it as the first pronouciation and some have it as the second. It certainly is a valid way to say it. I have never heard it said any other way. Of course I have never had much cause to use the word. I am half Italian. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/totally-wrong-stuff-you-believed-to-an-embarrassingly-advanced-age/408477/292 "2007-06-21T16:27:29Z")
[QUOTE=pendgwen] The AED checks to see what the electrical activity of the heart is like. There are various patterns of electrical activity that so disorganized that the heart is not beating in a useful way. The AED shock can interrupt this and “re-set” the heart rhythm. If the AED finds no electrical activity it will not shock. [/QUOTE] I concur. I have used an AED on a decent number of the freshly dead. When it goes into analyze mode it will tell you if a shock is advised. If no shock is advised you are instructed to check for a pulse, if no pulse continue CPR. The hope is that CPR will keep the body on just this side of dead until the medics can start pumping meds into it. Sometimes this will cause the heart to go into a shockable rhythm. Then the AED may be able to shock the heart back to a regular rhythm. Most of the time this does not happen and the dead stay dead. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/totally-wrong-stuff-you-believed-to-an-embarrassingly-advanced-age/408477/293 "2007-06-21T16:39:22Z")
[QUOTE=Malacandra] [mode=Michael J. “Crocodile” Dundee]That’s not a personal insult, _this_ is a personal insult…"[/mode] _thinks better of it_ Good catch, dude. Good catch. The entire fabric of Western civilization nearly went into the toilet right there, but you caught it. I’ll stick to hijacking threads in order to snark on Christianity in future; I’d be on firmer ground there, obviously. _goes and sits on the naughty step_ [/QUOTE] FWIW, I’m a little dismayed that the other guy wasn’t given a warning for trolling. ---
**Author:** ![Taber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ac91a4/32.png) [@Taber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taber)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/totally-wrong-stuff-you-believed-to-an-embarrassingly-advanced-age/408477/294 "2007-06-21T16:43:39Z")
[QUOTE=tdn] We’ve done that on the board before. I’m still going with “thing.” Many people asked what the other “thing” could possibly be. The answer, I think, is obvious. If you think you’re getting ice cream for dinner, you’ve got another thing coming. Thing the first: Ice cream The other thing: Brussells sprouts [/QUOTE] I think there’s a reasonable compromise here. We just say “…you’ve got another think comink.” Those that want to hear think hear think, and those that want to hear thing assume you said thing in a bad russian accent. Of course, if you think I’m actually going to put this into practice… ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/totally-wrong-stuff-you-believed-to-an-embarrassingly-advanced-age/408477/295 "2007-06-21T18:00:22Z")
I recently set a classmate straight: she thought Somalis and Samoans were the same. I think she is in her 30’s. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/totally-wrong-stuff-you-believed-to-an-embarrassingly-advanced-age/408477/296 "2007-06-21T18:25:52Z")
[QUOTE=Cub Mistress] I recently set a classmate straight: she thought Somalis and Samoans were the same. I think she is in her 30’s. [/QUOTE] Well that is just stupid. Everyone knows that Somalis are from Africa and Samoans are cookies. How can you get that mixed up? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/totally-wrong-stuff-you-believed-to-an-embarrassingly-advanced-age/408477/297 "2007-06-21T18:26:21Z")
[QUOTE=Loach] I may have missed something since this is a long thread but “flassid” is not incorrect. Some of the references I found have it as the first pronouciation and some have it as the second. It certainly is a valid way to say it. I have never heard it said any other way. Of course I have never had much cause to use the word. I am half Italian. 🆒 [/QUOTE] Another pro-flassid argument is…“flassid” sounds, well, more flaccid than “flaxsid” does. Onomatopoeia, folks! ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/totally-wrong-stuff-you-believed-to-an-embarrassingly-advanced-age/408477/298 "2007-06-21T18:48:33Z")
[QUOTE=Loach] I may have missed something since this is a long thread but “flassid” is not incorrect. Some of the references I found have it as the first pronouciation and some have it as the second. It certainly is a valid way to say it. I have never heard it said any other way. Of course I have never had much cause to use the word. I am half Italian. 🆒 [/QUOTE] Not even when you’ve boiled your macaroni too long, while engrossed in the Sopranos? ---
**Author:** ![whole\_bean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@whole\_bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whole_bean)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/totally-wrong-stuff-you-believed-to-an-embarrassingly-advanced-age/408477/299 "2007-06-21T19:36:16Z")
[QUOTE=Loach] Of course I have never had much cause to use the word. I am half Italian. 🆒 [/QUOTE] So you’re saying you walk around with a hard-on all day. Why doesn’t anyone notice . . or. . . was that a jab at Italians? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/totally-wrong-stuff-you-believed-to-an-embarrassingly-advanced-age/408477/300 "2007-06-21T19:59:39Z")
I only learnt about a year or two ago that the correct spelling is “just deserts”, not “just desserts”. I’m 30, and a copy editor. (Fortunately, this phrase never came up in my work.) I blame too many punning cookery headlines. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/totally-wrong-stuff-you-believed-to-an-embarrassingly-advanced-age/408477.md?page=14) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/totally-wrong-stuff-you-believed-to-an-embarrassingly-advanced-age/408477.md?page=16)