# What are the dumbest questions you've been asked more than once? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 6, 2019, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-dumbest-questions-youve-been-asked-more-than-once/839767 "2019-09-06T01:47:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Mallard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Mallard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mallard)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2019, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-dumbest-questions-youve-been-asked-more-than-once/839767/42 "2019-09-06T16:52:39Z")
> [@ThisSpaceForRent](#): > > I run a Pizzeria in St Louis… > > The most common (in my opinion STUPID) question I get asked is “How Big is a 14” Pizza" or How big is an 18" pizza"…ummm “14” or 18" inches in diameter, respectively" Always ask that the pizza be cut into 4 pieces because you’re not hungry enough to eat 8. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2019, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-dumbest-questions-youve-been-asked-more-than-once/839767/43 "2019-09-06T16:57:42Z")
> [@ThisSpaceForRent](#): > > I run a Pizzeria in St Louis… > > The most common (in my opinion STUPID) question I get asked is “How Big is a 14” Pizza" or How big is an 18" pizza"…ummm “14” or 18" inches in diameter, respectively" I almost asked that one but caught myself: “How bi… I mean how many does a 18” usually serve?" ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2019, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-dumbest-questions-youve-been-asked-more-than-once/839767/44 "2019-09-06T17:09:49Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > In their defense: all positive integers are either prime or composite—except 1, which is a special case, considered neither prime nor composite. So I suppose they could have been thinking, all integers are either even or odd, except, could 0 be a special case? Not really. So some other property about a different number that is not actually ambiguous causes confusion … how? (And keep in mind the context. Your example would be like upper class Math majors not knowing if one was prime or not. If a senior in Math asked a prof if one was prime or not, the prof would definitely classify it as a dumb question.) A “less bad” example the fact that 0 is neither positive or negative somehow, mysteriously, by some weird thing, causing confusion. But still, it’s _Computer Science_ where they’ve been taught all sorts of stuff about _binary_ numbers. It _is_ incredibly dumb to not know this is that major at that point in college. Incredibly dumb. Hence why my fellow profs didn’t believe me when I mentioned this. They had to see it for themselves. And did. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2019, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-dumbest-questions-youve-been-asked-more-than-once/839767/45 "2019-09-06T17:16:54Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > …And for a waitress to ask a customer who is wearing boots and a high-visibilty riding jacket what his occupation is is also very reasonable. It just seemed goofy to me. Motorcyclists wearing hi-viz riding jackets aren’t terribly rare these days; it struck me (both times) as a question asked by someone who just hadn’t been very observant prior to that. ---
**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:** [September 6, 2019, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-dumbest-questions-youve-been-asked-more-than-once/839767/46 "2019-09-06T17:29:06Z")
> [@Dickerman](#): > > When people call my office phone, and at some point in the conversation, ask if I’m “here”, by which they mean in or around the office environs. This can be forgiven in what’s now a mobile phone world, I suppose, but these are campus employees calling a campus phone number. Not a dumb question if they think you might be forwarding your calls. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2019, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-dumbest-questions-youve-been-asked-more-than-once/839767/47 "2019-09-06T17:42:23Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > Funny, it’s the opposite for me. Back when I still used store provided plastic bags and they’d ask me if I wanted my gallon of milk or whatever bagged, I’d think “why wouldn’t I? It’s all being schlepped from the car to the same place?” Because heavy items with handles are more comfortable to be carried by the handle instead of by a plastic bag? ---
**Author:** ![rsat3acr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@rsat3acr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsat3acr)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2019, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-dumbest-questions-youve-been-asked-more-than-once/839767/48 "2019-09-06T18:03:05Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > Funny, it’s the opposite for me. Back when I still used store provided plastic bags and they’d ask me if I wanted my gallon of milk or whatever bagged, I’d think “why wouldn’t I? It’s all being schlepped from the car to the same place?” I see where you are coming from but they asked me if I was sure after I told them not to bag it. I tell them this prior to them asking if I want it bagged. To me that would be like ordering a Big Mac at McDonalds and being asked if I’m sure. No personal snark intended. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2019, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-dumbest-questions-youve-been-asked-more-than-once/839767/49 "2019-09-06T18:15:38Z")
> [@Zyada](#): > > Because heavy items with handles are more comfortable to be carried by the handle instead of by a plastic bag? And also are a waste of a bag. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2019, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-dumbest-questions-youve-been-asked-more-than-once/839767/50 "2019-09-06T18:28:04Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Not really. So some other property about a different number that is not actually ambiguous causes confusion … how? (And keep in mind the context. Your example would be like upper class Math majors not knowing if one was prime or not. If a senior in Math asked a prof if one was prime or not, the prof would definitely classify it as a dumb question.) > > A “less bad” example the fact that 0 is neither positive or negative somehow, mysteriously, by some weird thing, causing confusion. But still, it’s _Computer Science_ where they’ve been taught all sorts of stuff about _binary_ numbers. > > It _is_ incredibly dumb to not know this is that major at that point in college. Incredibly dumb. Hence why my fellow profs didn’t believe me when I mentioned this. They had to see it for themselves. And did. Depending on how the question, asking whether a blank input should be treated like an even-lengthed input is a fair question. I’ve done lots of stuff where blank/zero inputs are treated special. Asking whether zero is an even number is a mixed up way to ask that question, but it’s still a fair question. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2019, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-dumbest-questions-youve-been-asked-more-than-once/839767/51 "2019-09-06T18:37:59Z")
I always forget the question that prompts it but with at least 3 different people through my life I’ve gotten into serious arguments with people who claim you can’t have a “high ego but low self-esteem” since both terms were contradictory. I say both terms aren’t contradictory but I’ve literally had a person I was only somewhat friends with start shouting in my face how that can’t happen in real life. It really is the dumbest debate I’ve had with people. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2019, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-dumbest-questions-youve-been-asked-more-than-once/839767/52 "2019-09-06T18:42:39Z")
When telling someone about my spinal cord injury, I often include the fact that I’ve retained full physical sensation _throughout_ my body. Amazingly, I’ve had numerous people stare at me dumbfounded, poke or push my thigh and say, “so you can feel that?” ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2019, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-dumbest-questions-youve-been-asked-more-than-once/839767/53 "2019-09-06T18:51:20Z")
Double post ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2019, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-dumbest-questions-youve-been-asked-more-than-once/839767/54 "2019-09-06T18:58:43Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > It used to be the stupidest question I’d been asked, but now I can say I’ve been asked it more than twice. > > At the end of a lengthy conversation in English, “do you speak English?” No, hon, for the last half-hour we’ve been conversing in Quenya… [“Oh, you speak English.”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsy3-ZfbqW0) ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2019, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-dumbest-questions-youve-been-asked-more-than-once/839767/55 "2019-09-06T19:04:15Z")
Is your name pronounced (or spelled) \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_? The name they usually cite is wildly different from mine. Another: Where do you get the ideas for your art? ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2019, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-dumbest-questions-youve-been-asked-more-than-once/839767/56 "2019-09-06T19:23:11Z")
> [@Zyada](#): > > Because heavy items with handles are more comfortable to be carried by the handle instead of by a plastic bag? Not when you’re carrying several other plastic bags, at least for me. If I carry a gallon of water by its handle, that’s all I can comfortably carry in that hand, whereas if its in a plastic bag, I can easily add those handles to several other bags’ handles. Does that make sense? > [@rsat3acr](#): > > I see where you are coming from but they asked me if I was sure after I told them not to bag it. I tell them this prior to them asking if I want it bagged. To me that would be like ordering a Big Mac at McDonalds and being asked if I’m sure. No personal snark intended. Oh my, that is silly! ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2019, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-dumbest-questions-youve-been-asked-more-than-once/839767/57 "2019-09-06T19:55:11Z")
> [@EmilyG](#): > > “Do Canadians have Thanksgiving?” And why exactly is that a dumb question? I mean we do of course, but is that obvious. It always precedes US Thanksgiving by exactly 45 days, incidentally. The dumbest question I got asked more times than I can count is, “Is this going to be on the exam?” I always say that it might be. Even dumber, “What will be on the exam?” “Everything we did.” ---
**Author:** ![ThisSpaceForRent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisspaceforrent/32/345_2.png) [@ThisSpaceForRent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisSpaceForRent)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2019, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-dumbest-questions-youve-been-asked-more-than-once/839767/58 "2019-09-06T20:07:04Z")
> [@kopek](#): > > I almost asked that one but caught myself: “How bi… I mean how many does a 18” usually serve?" Now that’s a valid question. My standard answer for the How Big is an 18" pizza is 254.47 sq inches. Why yes, I can be a smart ass. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2019, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-dumbest-questions-youve-been-asked-more-than-once/839767/59 "2019-09-06T20:09:05Z")
**Twice** in the past few weeks, I went to a bakery/cafe chain (Panera and Atlanta Bread) and asked for a whole loaf of bread, nothing else. And the cashier asks me, “Is that for here or to go?” I suppose they are trained to ask that to every customer, and it becomes automatic, but still… Next time I should say “for here” and see if they’d put it on a plate. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2019, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-dumbest-questions-youve-been-asked-more-than-once/839767/60 "2019-09-06T20:16:29Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > Born on Easter? That is pretty cool. But don’t you get tired of having your birthday on a Sunday every year? > > 😉 Being born on Christmas must suck since you don’t get two sets of presents. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2019, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-dumbest-questions-youve-been-asked-more-than-once/839767/61 "2019-09-06T20:17:44Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > The dumbest question I got asked more times than I can count is, “Is this going to be on the exam?” I always say that it might be. Even dumber, “What will be on the exam?” “Everything we did.” IMO those aren’t as dumb as “How many questions will be on the exam?” I could maybe give you a number, but I don’t see how you would find it useful, since a “question” could be anything from a quick multiple-choice test of knowledge to a long multi-part problem to work out. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-dumbest-questions-youve-been-asked-more-than-once/839767.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-dumbest-questions-youve-been-asked-more-than-once/839767.md?page=4)