Admit your ignorance - things you've only just realised/learned

[Mad Doug Biker]

It's not one I've 'only just' learned, but I did only learn it an age I should have known better.

I was shocked when I saw footage of a tuna in the wild, as I'd never given it a lot of thought, but it must have logged somewhere in my synapses that a tuna would be small...because the tins are.

In the wild, they are little tins swimming about in the sea 😆

 

[Deleted member 26715]

I'm not so sure - most sources seem to say it is SPiced hAM - the acroynym you're defending doesn't show up at all except in online discussion and conjecture, and possibly a UK-derived reverse-engineered acronym.

Maybe, always known it as that as one of those down the pub quiz type questions

 

[Dogtrousers]

I'm not so sure - most sources seem to say it is SPiced hAM - the acroynym you're defending doesn't show up at all except in online discussion and conjecture, and possibly a UK-derived reverse-engineered acronym.

If you hear an acronym explanation of a word and think "I never knew that" then it's a fair bet that it will turn out to be fictitious. People seem to put a lot of effort into making up these "backronyms".

The stupidest example that I've seen recently was a claim that "news" was an acronym made up of: Notable Events, Weather and Sports

Fubar, snafu, radar, lidar, laser, scuba - are all real. Everything else - if it's news to you then it's made up.

 

[figbat]

If you hear an acronym explanation of a word and think "I never knew that" then it's a fair bet that it will turn out to be fictitious. People seem to put a lot of effort into making up these "backronyms".

The stupidest example that I've seen recently was a claim that "news" was an acronym made up of: Notable Events, Weather and Sports

Fubar, snafu, radar, lidar, scuba - are all real. Everything else - if it's news to you then it's made up.

"Backronym" - love it! Like Fix Or Repair Daily, Lots Of Trouble Usually Serious, Fix It Again Tomorrow?

 

[Andy in Germany]

My personal favourite is a story that manure was an explosion hazard because it overheated when carried in poorly ventilated ships holds, so it was labelled "Store High In Transit".

 

[Deleted member 26715]

My personal favourite is a story that manure was an explosion hazard because it overheated when carried in poorly ventilated ships holds, so it was labelled "Store High In Transit".

You mean it's not? because it does

 

[figbat]

My personal favourite is a story that manure was an explosion hazard because it overheated when carried in poorly ventilated ships holds, so it was labelled "Store High In Transit".

Which reminds me of the debunked origin of "posh" - port out, starboard home - relating to which cabins were allocated to rich folk who didn't want to get a suntan when sailing to India.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Which reminds me of the debunked origin of "posh" - port out, starboard home - relating to which cabins were allocated to rich folk who didn't want to get a suntan when sailing to India.

Another one is Pom - the Aussie term for Brits (or is it English ... I dunno). No, it's not an acronym of Prisoner of ... anything beginning with M.

 

[Andy in Germany]

You mean it's not? because it does

Appropriately for the thread I am ignorant of the truth or otherwise, but makes a good story.

 

[Electric_Andy]

I got my first smartphone in 2010ish, it was only a cheap one, and I downloaded a "temperature" app that I thought was clever enough to have a temp sensor in it to tell you how warm a room was. Little did I know that it only got data from other weather apps and was only telling me what the BBC weather app said it was in my area!

Also, on the same phone, I downloaded a solar charger app. it said that if I left the phone in the sun, it would charge. It took me all day to realise that this was total trash, and only succedded in draining my phone battery

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

 

[ExBrit]

Jockey Wheels. Those little wheels that sit under your rear derailleur. They have nothing to do with little men (or women) in kinky outfits.
Jockey means "to guide". They guide the chain onto the desired sprocket. I did not know that until I decided to upgrade mine.

Now what about jockey shorts. What do they guide?

 

[Dave7]

Now what about jockey shorts. What do they guide?

Not a lot in my case 😗

 

[Dogtrousers]

Jockey Wheels. Those little wheels that sit under your rear derailleur. They have nothing to do with little men (or women) in kinky outfits.
Jockey means "to guide". They guide the chain onto the desired sprocket. I did not know that until I decided to upgrade mine.

Now what about jockey shorts. What do they guide?

I always think of those funny little wheels as "jokey wheels"

 

[Ming the Merciless]

In the wild, they are little tins swimming about in the sea 😆

Odd factoids that way ——>