# What's the dumbest question you've ever been asked? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 3, 2017, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dumbest-question-youve-ever-been-asked/788054 "2017-06-03T23:16:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**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:** [June 8, 2017, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dumbest-question-youve-ever-been-asked/788054/221 "2017-06-08T22:28:19Z")
Okay, I shouldn’t have said at the poles. To be clear, they occur in large ellipses called the “[auroral ovals](https://www.spaceweatherlive.com/en/auroral-activity/auroral-oval)” _centered_ on the poles. The exact position of the ovals at any given time depends on solar winds, as I understand it. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dumbest-question-youve-ever-been-asked/788054/222 "2017-06-08T22:43:40Z")
I will leave out all of the actual crazy questions I get and just list two I get regularly: [ol] [li]How do I join the military? \*Well, if you Google “How do i join the CAF?” What comes up? \*[/li][li](in the summer)“Isn’t it hot working outside in that uniform and boots?” _Well, **yeah**. I mean, I am not a machine, and it’s 30C in the shade, but I have gotten used to it, it’s not like I could opt for the camo flip-flops and bikini anyway_[/li] [/ol] ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dumbest-question-youve-ever-been-asked/788054/223 "2017-06-08T23:03:13Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > **Some Context:** A guy once asked me where he could get something to eat. Now keep in mind this wasn’t a bum looking for a handout, nor a foreign tourist who didn’t know our strange American ways. This was a well-dressed, older gentleman with a Midwestern accent, who asked where he could eat a meal. Within eyesight of us both were a McDonald’s, a Long John Silver’s, a Red Lobster, an Arby’s, and a Cici’s Pizza. Somehow he didn’t know that those places all served food. They do? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Annoying\_Buzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Annoying\_Buzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annoying_Buzz)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2017, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dumbest-question-youve-ever-been-asked/788054/224 "2017-06-09T01:01:52Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > _Typical_ Sagittarius, exaggerating. No, I’m being dead serious. My co-worker had been talking about her belief in astrology for a while, so I asked her, based on what she knew of my personality, what she thought my sign was. She did a lot of “well, you’re like a… maybe not a…” halfway statements, but I resolved to say nothing until she made a direct guess, and to do my best to not show any reaction to her rattling off the various signs. Through a combination of bad luck and not being very good at keeping track of her previous guesses. It took her 14 tries. “It is mathematically impossible to be that wrong!” became a running joke in the office for a while. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2017, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dumbest-question-youve-ever-been-asked/788054/225 "2017-06-09T01:03:53Z")
‘Can I ask you a question…’ ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2017, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dumbest-question-youve-ever-been-asked/788054/226 "2017-06-09T02:57:35Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > Don’t know what to tell you then-- they guy was an astronomer, and we did, in fact, face north to see them. Well, I’m an astronomer too. I imagine he was joking. ---
**Author:** ![Fugazi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f08c70/32.png) [@Fugazi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fugazi)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2017, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dumbest-question-youve-ever-been-asked/788054/227 "2017-06-09T04:45:31Z")
Driving along with my daughter in the car. I’m singing along to the song on the radio. She asked me if I knew the song. I just looked at her and said, “no, I’m just a REALLY good guesser” ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2017, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dumbest-question-youve-ever-been-asked/788054/228 "2017-06-09T05:51:51Z")
> [@XT](#): > > ‘Can I ask you a question…’ Which of course, joking aside, is a reasonable request. It’s intended (and taken) to mean something like “May I bother you with a difficult question?” where that initial question is not considered a difficult one. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2017, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dumbest-question-youve-ever-been-asked/788054/229 "2017-06-09T13:52:39Z")
> [@LicketySplit](#): > > A few years ago I was working for Habitat for Humanity. I was the crew foreman on this particular day, and me and a few other volunteers were doing some landscape installation. > We were planting some pansies, as I recall. They came in those small, black plastic 2" containers. A dude grabbed about a dozen of them and went off to plant them, and then returned to me a few minutes later and asked… > > “Do we take them out of the container before we plant them? Or do we just leave them in and let the roots break through. That works, right?” > > Since we were volunteers and the poor guy wasn’t getting paid, what can you do? I didn’t have the heart to laugh. So I just answered his question straight-faced and calmly. LOL > > This has been a long running inside joke between DW and me, whenever we are in the yard planting stuff. Which is often, since we’re both garden junkies. She’ll call over to me holding a plastic container with whatever, and say, “Honey, I take this out first, right?” Maybe he was thinking it was a biodegradable plastic pot, like [these](http://www.greenhousemegastore.com/category/biodegradable-pots) but less obvious. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2017, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dumbest-question-youve-ever-been-asked/788054/230 "2017-06-09T17:33:26Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > Which of course, joking aside, is a reasonable request. > > It’s intended (and taken) to mean something like “May I bother you with a difficult question?” where that initial question is not considered a difficult one. No, that would be “May I ask you a question?” “Can I ask you a question?” is self-answering. ---
**Author:** ![JohnnyMac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@JohnnyMac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnnyMac)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2017, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dumbest-question-youve-ever-been-asked/788054/231 "2017-06-09T19:21:53Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > No, that would be “May I ask you a question?” > > “Can I ask you a question?” is self-answering. Approaching this as a descriptivist, “Can I…?” is simply a less formal phrasing of “May I…?” - at least that is how it’s used where I live. Sent from my SM-A300FU using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2017, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dumbest-question-youve-ever-been-asked/788054/232 "2017-06-09T20:37:54Z")
I avoid the casual and eschew the snobby formal by saying “I have a question”. To which folks say, “that’s nice, dear” and keep on about their business. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Toxgoddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Toxgoddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxgoddess)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2017, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dumbest-question-youve-ever-been-asked/788054/233 "2017-06-10T03:10:43Z")
Cashier in a party supply store: " Are you having a baby shower?" Me: “Yes, my friend is having twins. A boy and a girl.” Cashier" Are they identical?" Me"Uh…no." ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2017, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dumbest-question-youve-ever-been-asked/788054/234 "2017-06-10T03:17:07Z")
I’ve heard that one of the most common questions asked on Google is “How do you Google something?” 😛 Why, yes, of course I had to try that when I first heard that story. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2017, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dumbest-question-youve-ever-been-asked/788054/235 "2017-06-10T04:52:05Z")
Got another one from yesterday. I’m a 49yo woman; having this asked once wouldn’t count as stupid, specially if it had been phrased better, but it wasn’t just once. Also, I happen to prefer gaming headsets because I simply find them more comfortable: skype conversations with my mother can last over one hour. Me, to four guys working in the gaming section of a big store which dedicates about 1/3 of its floor space to computer and console gaming: “hi, I’m looking for a gaming headset and I think I know which one I’d like but I can’t find the right box, can you help me?” Them: “gaming? You want a _gaming_ headset?” Me: “yes.” Them: “but, gaming?” Me: “yes, it’s for raiding. Gaming. It’s for hearing my raid leader when she yells ‘to the right you FUCKSTICKS!’” Them: “_You_ want a _gaming_ headset?” Me: :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes: At that point the brightest of them finally laughed, said sorry and came to show me the sets, provide recommendations and check which ones were actually in stock. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2017, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dumbest-question-youve-ever-been-asked/788054/236 "2017-06-10T05:01:30Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Got another one from yesterday. I’m a 49yo woman; having this asked once wouldn’t count as stupid, specially if it had been phrased better, but it wasn’t just once. Also, I happen to prefer gaming headsets because I simply find them more comfortable: skype conversations with my mother can last over one hour. > > Me, to four guys working in the gaming section of a big store which dedicates about 1/3 of its floor space to computer and console gaming: “hi, I’m looking for a gaming headset and I think I know which one I’d like but I can’t find the right box, can you help me?” > > Them: “gaming? You want a _gaming_ headset?” > > Me: “yes.” > > Them: “but, gaming?” > > Me: “yes, it’s for raiding. Gaming. It’s for hearing my raid leader when she yells ‘to the right you FUCKSTICKS!’” > > Them: “_You_ want a _gaming_ headset?” > > Me: :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes: > > At that point the brightest of them finally laughed, said sorry and came to show me the sets, provide recommendations and check which ones were actually in stock. I wouldn’t call the question stupid, exactly as much as I’d call it an asshole-ish question. Potato/pitato I guess. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2017, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dumbest-question-youve-ever-been-asked/788054/237 "2017-06-10T11:49:09Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > Look just be careful [where you go in Syracuse, alright?](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tipperary_Hill#Green_over_red) When they’re stacked\*, railroad color light signals have red on the bottom and green on top. This is so the red (most restrictive) lamp can be at eye height and the other two higher rather than lower. This has been referred to informally as the “Irish system.” \*Some are arranged in a triangle. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2017, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dumbest-question-youve-ever-been-asked/788054/238 "2017-06-10T22:38:38Z")
This exchange happened numerous times in my life: (interlocutor just learned circumstantially that I don’t eat meat, asks befuddled, but patronizingly sympathetic): “So you’re a vegetarian?” “Yeah.” “For ethical or health reasons?” “:smack:” ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2017, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dumbest-question-youve-ever-been-asked/788054/239 "2017-06-10T22:41:26Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > This exchange happened numerous times in my life: > > (interlocutor just learned circumstantially that I don’t eat meat, asks befuddled, but patronizingly sympathetic): > > “So you’re a vegetarian?” > “Yeah.” > “For ethical or health reasons?” > “:smack:” Color me confused. Why is this a stupid question? I feel like I’m missing a “Duhh!” aspect here. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2017, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dumbest-question-youve-ever-been-asked/788054/240 "2017-06-10T22:56:05Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > Color me confused. Why is this a stupid question? I feel like I’m missing a “Duhh!” aspect here. Well, that question is so stupid on many regards. First, there are numerous more grounds for avoiding meat than just those two options, and believe it or not, most vegetarians have multiple reasons for their choice of diet. But it’s ALWAYS “ethical or health?”… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dumbest-question-youve-ever-been-asked/788054.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dumbest-question-youve-ever-been-asked/788054.md?page=13)