# 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:** 7
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2017, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dumbest-question-youve-ever-been-asked/788054/121 "2017-06-05T21:58:06Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > I don’t understand. Salt loses its flavor over time. 😕 No, it doesn’t. It’s made up almost entirely of a simple mineral compound (with a few impurities), and the salty taste is attributable to that compound. It can’t lose its flavor any more than water can lose its wetness. Powdered salt can get damp and clump up, which could be a reason for throwing it away. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2017, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dumbest-question-youve-ever-been-asked/788054/122 "2017-06-05T22:10:22Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > No, it doesn’t. It’s made up almost entirely of a simple mineral compound (with a few impurities), and the salty taste is attributable to that compound. It can’t lose its flavor any more than water can lose its wetness. > > Powdered salt can get damp and clump up, which could be a reason for throwing it away. That’s about the only reason I could see for a “best by” date–that it gets clumpy over time. But, no, NaCl doesn’t go bad or lose its saltiness (literal interpretations of Matthew 5:13 notwithstanding). As stated, the stuff is quite old, to say the least, by the time it hits your table. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2017, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dumbest-question-youve-ever-been-asked/788054/123 "2017-06-05T22:15:32Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > That’s about the only reason I could see for a “best by” date–that it gets clumpy over time. But, no, NaCl doesn’t go bad or lose its saltiness (literal interpretations of Matthew 5:13 notwithstanding). As stated, the stuff is quite old, to say the least, by the time it hits your table. Amazon requires a best-by date of no longer than 5 years on all food products sold on its site, regardless of whether it’s perishable or not. Sent from my LGMS631 using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2017, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dumbest-question-youve-ever-been-asked/788054/124 "2017-06-05T22:19:33Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > Amazon requires a best-by date of no longer than 5 years on all food products sold on its site, regardless of whether it’s perishable or not. I meant in the sense of it actually possibly being an issue of quality. The other reason would be because the salt manufacturers just want you to buy a new box of salt instead of using your perfectly good old box (although I highly doubt anyone keeps salt around for that long.) ---
**Author:** ![jools](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b3f665/32.png) [@jools](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jools)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2017, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dumbest-question-youve-ever-been-asked/788054/125 "2017-06-05T22:50:05Z")
The one that comes to mind, and I know it’s a wording problem but being asked “Are those your real eyes?” My answers vary from “yes with a smile” to “No, mine are in a mason jar at home, I have to return these by midnight…” And one time at a Burger King, again it was an automatism from the guy but I ordered the veggie burger and his reply was “would you like extra bacon with your burger?” I just stared at him until he looked up at me, saw my face and realized what he had just said! ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2017, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dumbest-question-youve-ever-been-asked/788054/126 "2017-06-05T23:03:05Z")
> [@originaljbw](#): > > “Does your vegetarian lasagna contain any beef/pork/whatever meat?” As others have pointed out, this would be a dumb question, except for the fact that “vegetarian” products often do indeed contain meat or animal products. ---
**Author:** ![Anny\_Middon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc79bd/32.png) [@Anny\_Middon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anny_Middon)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2017, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dumbest-question-youve-ever-been-asked/788054/127 "2017-06-05T23:06:21Z")
> [@TokyoBayer](#): > > Once when my wife couldn’t reach me on my cell, she tried the home number and after I answered she asked “Where are you?” This reminded me of the time some years ago (before cell phones) when I answered the phone to hear the immediate demand, “Where are you?” I said, “I’m at home.” Response: “You were supposed to pick me up at the airport!” We were having a kind of family reunion that year, so I spent a second or two assuring myself that everyone who was coming was sitting in my family room, so I replied, “I think you have the wrong number.” To which he said, “I do not!” I hung up on him, but my family decided that I should have said, “Oh, my gosh, I forgot all about picking you up! I’ll be there in a half hour!” ---
**Author:** ![Anny\_Middon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc79bd/32.png) [@Anny\_Middon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anny_Middon)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2017, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dumbest-question-youve-ever-been-asked/788054/128 "2017-06-05T23:11:33Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > If I may be “that guy” for just a little bit, I think some of these weren’t dumb questions, but rather, were misunderstood or poorly communicated. Asking how big a 16-inch pizza is sounds like asking for a visual demonstration of its size (“It’s as big as _this_” - gesturing with both hands) or a practical analogy (“about as big as that steel skillet over there.”) It doesn’t sound like a math question - “four inches longer than a foot.” I thought they wanted to know how many people it would feed. Most pizza menus (at least in my neck of the woods) follows the size of the pie with the approximate number it will feed. Given that crusts can vary from cracker-thin to deep dish or stuffed versions, a pizza of a given size might feed more or fewer people than expected. If interpreted that way, you could answer with what is kinda a dumb question of your own – "I don’t know, how hungry are you? ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2017, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dumbest-question-youve-ever-been-asked/788054/129 "2017-06-05T23:19:15Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I meant in the sense of it actually possibly being an issue of quality. The other reason would be because the salt manufacturers just want you to buy a new box of salt instead of using your perfectly good old box (although I highly doubt anyone keeps salt around for that long.) Oh, I got that. I was just explaining why it’s now on so many packages where it’s truly not needed. Sent from my LGMS631 using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Anny\_Middon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc79bd/32.png) [@Anny\_Middon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anny_Middon)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2017, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dumbest-question-youve-ever-been-asked/788054/130 "2017-06-05T23:28:52Z")
Many years ago I worked on the 84th floor of what was then the Sears Tower. One day I was on an elevator that fell uncontrolled for 20-some stories. In relating this episode to people over the years, more than once I was asked, “Did it hit bottom?” ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2017, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dumbest-question-youve-ever-been-asked/788054/131 "2017-06-05T23:42:34Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > Oh, I got that. I was just explaining why it’s now on so many packages where it’s truly not needed. Food processors often use the “Best by” date as the “lot number” for quality control. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dumbest-question-youve-ever-been-asked/788054/132 "2017-06-06T00:04:28Z")
> [@jools](#): > > …And one time at a Burger King, again it was an automatism from the guy but I ordered the veggie burger and his reply was “would you like extra bacon with your burger?” I just stared at him until he looked up at me, saw my face and realized what he had just said! I’m not disagreeing that this was a little silly to ask in this context. But incidentally, as a counterpoint to the fact that vegetarians really _do_ need to verify the absence of meat, I quite often ask for vegetarian dishes and then add some meat protein as an extra. I’m not a vegetarian, but I _like_ vegetables, and that’s often the best way to get them. Veggie omelette with added bacon is a frequent breakfast order for me. ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dumbest-question-youve-ever-been-asked/788054/133 "2017-06-06T00:32:30Z")
“How would you kill yourself?” By “my” doctor, latest hospitalization. Yes, I\*\*\* am\*\*\* changing health care providers… ---
**Author:** ![ssgenius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@ssgenius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ssgenius)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dumbest-question-youve-ever-been-asked/788054/134 "2017-06-06T02:42:40Z")
> [@drewder](#): > > About 201 square inches Not if the pizza is square 😃 At least they didn’t ask how many slices are in a 16 inch pizza:D ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dumbest-question-youve-ever-been-asked/788054/135 "2017-06-06T03:02:30Z")
> [@usedtobe](#): > > “How would you kill yourself?” > > By “my” doctor, latest hospitalization. > > Yes, I\*\*\* am\*\*\* changing health care providers… Based on other threads you’ve posted in recently, this question is actually very reasonable. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dumbest-question-youve-ever-been-asked/788054/136 "2017-06-06T03:05:19Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Based on other threads you’ve posted in recently, this question is actually very reasonable. ☹ +1 ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dumbest-question-youve-ever-been-asked/788054/137 "2017-06-06T03:38:08Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > That’s about the only reason I could see for a “best by” date–that it gets clumpy over time. But, no, NaCl doesn’t go bad or lose its saltiness (literal interpretations of Matthew 5:13 notwithstanding). As stated, the stuff is quite old, to say the least, by the time it hits your table. Table salt probably has a sell-by date for the same reason as other nonperishables - product rotation. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dumbest-question-youve-ever-been-asked/788054/138 "2017-06-06T03:44:27Z")
Working as a baker I’ve had the question “Is this fresh?” It’s usually said in a doubtful or whiny tone. What do they expect us to answer? “No” or “It’s five days old.” And to most people fresh means made that very day, preferably within the last couple of hours. Fresh to me means of proper eating quality. A fried donut is stale at the end of the day, and so is a dinner roll. But a baked cake or pie is still fine. After all, if you baked a cake at home in the morning, would you throw it out that night if it wasn’t all eaten? ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dumbest-question-youve-ever-been-asked/788054/139 "2017-06-06T04:46:46Z")
As for the salt question, I would also imagine that, over time, salt gradually accumulates moisture. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dumbest-question-youve-ever-been-asked/788054/140 "2017-06-06T04:49:27Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > the gate was nailed shut when he asked me if I thought any of the guys in R.E.M. had ever had sex with women to whom they were not married. > > :eek: :smack: > > Let’s just say that Peter Buck did a major overkill job of answering THAT question a few years later; so had Mike Mills but we didn’t know it at the time. > [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](#): > > Well, my dumb too (hey, I like that phrase!); but even though I knew REM was a band, I still don’t know what makes that question so dumb. Is there a further explanation, please? Anyway, so, yeah - what was the answer? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dumbest-question-youve-ever-been-asked/788054.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-dumbest-question-youve-ever-been-asked/788054.md?page=8)