Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Share The Things They Learned Embarrassingly Late In Life

Woman holding up an Oxford English Dictionary
Photo by Houcine Ncib on Unsplash

There is so much to learn in the world, it's impossible for one person to know absolutely everything there is to know.

But there are certain things, like common phrases and idioms, that everyone seems to use that might be a little embarrassing to not understand until later in life.


Redditor Curious-2577 asked:

"What's something you learned 'embarrassingly late' in life?"

Addictive Personality

"My sister was in her fifties when she found out the meaning of, 'You have an addictive personality.'"

"She thought after all these years of therapy that it meant that people were addicted to her personality."

"We laughed hysterically when we talked about this (in a very sad way)."

- casper02127

Horse Toes

"I thought that horses had toes until I was 22. I thought the hoof was a 'horseshoe' and the toes were tucked inside."

"How did I learn how wrong I was, you ask?"

"I was walking past a cavalry museum and saw a horse statue and loudly remarked, 'It must hurt so bad when they fold a horse’s toes to put them into the shoe!'"

"Dozens of horse enthusiasts turned and looked at me with wild bewilderment in their eyes."

- BronNatsPulisic

Referencing Flowers

"The saying is, in fact, 'Nip it in the bud' and not 'Nip it in the butt.'"

- too_sharp

Pastures New

"A few months ago, two of my colleagues both handed in their notice at around the same time."

"I kept reading/hearing the sentence, 'They’re both moving on to pastures new’ being thrown about the office in the weeks leading up to them leaving, and I hadn’t heard this phrase before and thought that was the name of the rival company that they were going to, like, 'Pastures New.'"

"I thought it was weird that nobody was talking about how they were both leaving for the same company."

"I was in the car with one of the two people who were leaving and said, 'So where is it that you and X are going to be working? Is it...’"

"And just before I could embarrass myself and say ‘Pastures New,' they interrupted me and said they’re not going to the same place and asked me where I had heard that."

"I think at that moment, I realized I was stupid and didn’t mention it again."

- WorriedSoft

Mario Brothers

"I think I was in college when I realized that Mario and Luigi are plumbers. I thought they just went and up down these tubes just because that was the theme of the game."

- dontbemystalker

Bonsai Trees

"That Bonsai are not a species of tree, but a way to grow them. Any tree can be a bonsai."

- ixent

Houston, We Have a Problem

"Houston is not the name of the guy astronauts talk to."

- vienna_versailles

Cowboy Beans

"I learned that pork and beans are not called 'cowboy beans.' I was 18 and asked a grocery store clerk to help me find the 'cowboy beans.'"

"We were looking everywhere and I was getting frustrated because I know that every store carries these beans. After a while, I picked up a pork and beans can with a picture and said, 'See, they look just like this!'"

"He said, 'You mean pork and beans?'"

"Then I realized that my mom called them that so that I would eat them."

"The look of disappointment from that grocery store clerk haunts me to this day."

- whyunoletmepost

The Pulitzer

"Let me tell you about how I thought you were awarded a 'Pullet Surprise.'"

- BendyBrains

Rum and Coke

"Not too late in life, but I thought my parents were making 'Roman Cokes' until I went to college."

"Which, I think is a much better name for the drink (Rum and Coke) anyway."

- Th3seViolentDelights

Oh No, Not Acoma!

"That a coma was 'A' coma. Until I was probably 19 or so, I thought it was 'acoma.'"

"I thought you fell into acoma."

- FightWithBrickWalls

It Must Have Been a One-Way Trip

"My parents were divorced the whole time and my mom was not, in fact, taking a vacation, lmao (laughing my a** off)."

- artemus_who

Multitasking

​"I live near the Hospital for Joint Diseases… when I was a kid, I thought was a special hospital for people who had two or more different diseases at the same time."

- Baffhy_Duck

Ore-Ida Fries

"Moving cross-country, driving east to west, and crossing from Idaho to Oregon, I noticed huge fields with signs for the Ore-Ida Potato company."

"So I was in my early 20s when I figured out Ore-Ida wasn’t just a brand name but was because their potatoes came from Oregon and Idaho."

- Deadhawk142

Kid Logic

"When I was really young, my sister told me she threw her guts up. So I was really afraid of vomiting my entire insides up for years."

- Presitigious_Sweet_50

Some of these really had us laughing as we realized the revelations some of these Redditors were having.

But when we're really honest with ourselves, we probably didn't figure out some of these until later, too.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Nezza
@babynezza/TikTok

Singer Speaks Out After Singing National Anthem In Spanish At Dodgers Game Despite Being Told Not To

Latin-R&B musician Nezza feels pretty confident she'll never be allowed in Dodgers Stadium again—and she's just fine with that.

The singer was featured at a recent Los Angeles Dodgers came to sing the National Anthem, which she wanted to do in Spanish as a show of solidarity with the city's immigrant community.

Keep ReadingShow less
Melissa Hortman and her dog Gilbert
@helpingpawsmn/Instagram

Animal Lovers Heartbroken After It's Revealed Hortman Family's Beloved Dog Was Also Killed In Attack

On the morning of Saturday, June 14, news broke that a man impersonating a police officer had shot Minnesota Democratic state Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette in their home in front of their daughter Hope, whose mother shielded her from the bullets.

Senator Hoffman was shot nine times and Yvette was shot eight times, but both survived.

Keep ReadingShow less
Eric Trump
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Eric Trump Slammed After Using Offensive Slur To Describe LA Protesters During Interview

Eric Trump is facing backlash after he referred to protesters in Los Angeles who've come out against the Trump administration's immigration raids as "mongoloids" during an interview with conservative influencer Benny Johnson.

"Mongoloid" is an old-fashioned slur for people with Down syndrome. It stems from John Langdon Down, the physician who first described Down syndrome, who believed that those with the condition bore similarities to people of Mongolian origin.

Keep ReadingShow less
Tina Smith; Mike Lee
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images; Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Dem Senator Had To Chase Down MAGA Colleague To Confront Him Over His Posts Mocking Minnesota Shootings

Minnesota Democratic Senator Tina Smith called out her GOP colleague, Utah Senator Mike Lee, to his face over his tweets mocking the shootings of two Democratic lawmakers in Smith's state, noting that Lee pretended to be on the phone to try to get away from her.

Smith was a friend of murdered state Representative Melissa Hortman, who was assassinated along with her husband on Saturday morning. Earlier that morning, state Senator John Hoffman and his wife were shot in their home in the next town and were hospitalized (Hoffman and his wife are expected to survive.) The shooter has since been captured and charged for the murders, firearm offenses, and stalking. Smith was on the assassin's lengthy hit list.

Keep ReadingShow less
photo of underwater
Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash

The Creepiest Things People Have Witnessed While Working Out At Sea

Myths and legends abound involving the open waters of the Earth's oceans and seas. Monsters, mermaids, and ghost ships were commonplace during the age of travel by ships with sails.

Most of the legends and myths were debunked over time. Or the stories went from current events to distant past.

Keep ReadingShow less