# Words and phrases you misunderstood as a child **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 25, 2014, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-and-phrases-you-misunderstood-as-a-child/679655 "2014-01-25T00:53:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-and-phrases-you-misunderstood-as-a-child/679655/141 "2014-01-31T17:28:56Z")
> [@mufatango](#): > > I have **absolutely** no idea why I wrote that instead of “ruminated.” 🙂 I had this image of you on a soapbox going on and on about crack detectives! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-and-phrases-you-misunderstood-as-a-child/679655/142 "2014-01-31T20:51:05Z")
> [@mufatango](#): > > I have **absolutely** no idea why I wrote that instead of “ruminated.” 🙂 Couldda bin worse. Couldda bin penis ensues. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-and-phrases-you-misunderstood-as-a-child/679655/143 "2014-02-01T03:52:28Z")
When I was a little boy, my mother would bring home margarine from the grocery store. The package always included the rubric “coloring added.” I always wanted to be the child who got to open a new pound of margarine. Imagine my excitement and anticipation as I opened the pasteboard box! Imagine my disappointment and eventual disgust when it turned out to be YELLOW. AGAIN!!! ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-and-phrases-you-misunderstood-as-a-child/679655/144 "2014-02-01T04:43:15Z")
> [@mufatango](#): > > I have **absolutely** no idea why I wrote that instead of “ruminated.” 🙂 For probably the same reason I once said “touchwarming”: you had two words in mind and inadvertently combined them. “pondered” + “ruminated” = “pontificated” “touching” + “heartwarming” = “touchwarming” ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-and-phrases-you-misunderstood-as-a-child/679655/145 "2014-02-01T05:10:13Z")
Remember that line from the song “Plastic Jesus”? \*When I drive at a hundred and eighty He just stands there luminating. \* (My sister, who told me about it, was in high school at the time. She learned it from a kid whose father was an Episcopalian minister.) ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-and-phrases-you-misunderstood-as-a-child/679655/146 "2014-02-01T07:59:48Z")
When my brother was 4 he was sitting at the dinner table and asked for the, “Salten”. My parents realized that he interpreted it from, “salt and pepper” When I was 5 I got poison ivy, but I called it, “poisonous ivory” ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-and-phrases-you-misunderstood-as-a-child/679655/147 "2014-02-01T09:04:26Z")
As a kid watching soft drink commercials I thought there was a lemon-lime fruit instead of a combination of two fruits. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-and-phrases-you-misunderstood-as-a-child/679655/148 "2014-02-02T05:05:42Z")
[Not too surprising, actually.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHMh8HUPLx8) ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-and-phrases-you-misunderstood-as-a-child/679655/149 "2014-02-02T07:38:19Z")
That might have something to do with it. I completely forgot about that until now. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-and-phrases-you-misunderstood-as-a-child/679655.md?page=7)