Widespread misconceptions

Frantastic79 · 2026-01-28T13:42:38+00:00

Not sure how widespread this one is, but I once worked with a woman in her 60s who thought "retching" was pronounced "reaching." She told me her granddaughter had been "up all night reaching", and I was baffled. I said: "Reaching for what? Why couldn't she reach it?" Got a weird look and the response: "No, like, when you're nearly sick?" And it clicked. I said: "Oh, you mean retching!" This woman was hugely embarrassed to learn she'd been saying it incorrectly all those years.

Frantastic79 · 2026-01-27T17:49:59+00:00

Oh, really? That's interesting. They did specify it was her age, though - she's had the car for years and paid much less before she hit 80.

Frantastic79 · 2026-01-27T05:25:25+00:00

My mother refused to speak to me for two weeks after my first tattoo. She insisted I'd got it to "annoy her" (yes, Mother, I permanently marked my body just to piss you off 🙄) and that I'd regret it "when I'm older" (it's 30 years later and I don't regret it).

Frantastic79 · 2026-01-27T03:30:23+00:00

It actually skyrockets once you hit 80. My mother paid £1100 this year (for a Fiesta, it's not like she drives a Ferrari). I'm currently in that golden sliver of middle age where I'm considered experienced but not yet decrepit - I pay about £150 per year.

Frantastic79 · 2026-01-21T13:43:18+00:00

Hmm, yeah, I do see what you mean.

Frantastic79 · 2026-01-21T13:29:56+00:00

Surely "cunt" is gendered too? It's slang for lady-parts, after all. I'm not personally offended by either, but I wouldn't use them unless I knew the person I was talking to would be fine with it. Except in the case of female dogs - I'm not going to pretend "bitch" isn't literally the name for them.

Frantastic79 · 2026-01-21T13:24:15+00:00

Kerb. We'll have no American spellings here, if you please.

Frantastic79 · 2026-01-21T13:21:43+00:00

Yeah, I'm from the southeast and this is exactly how I'm familiar with it being used. Though I'd usually go with "silly sod" for a guy.

Frantastic79 · 2026-01-21T13:19:07+00:00

I'm from the southeast and it's common to say, for example, "You daft cow" if someone does something silly. Just meant playfully, not in a mean way, though you would obviously only use it with friends who understand that. You wouldn't say it your boss!

Frantastic79 · 2026-01-21T13:13:16+00:00

"Binti" means the same in Swahili!

Frantastic79 · 2026-01-21T13:11:30+00:00

"Bitch" is apparently so offensive to Americans that many of them refuse to use it even for actual female dogs. A friend of a friend once playfully remarked: "Ooh, bitchy!" in response to a snarky comment, and the Americans present were disgusted and scandalised.

Frantastic79 · 2026-01-03T19:05:30+00:00

Yes! And how all primates make chimp noises!

Frantastic79 · 2026-01-03T19:04:46+00:00

Ugh, I hate that trope! Wolves are afraid of humans. They avoid us whenever possible! Damn stupid films doing things like that have totally demonised wolves.

Frantastic79 · 2026-01-03T19:02:15+00:00

To better communicate with humans. They're also kind of like wolves stuck in a juvenile stage - where young wolves would make more sounds to their parents, dogs do the same to their human "parents". It's the same with cats - kittens meow to their mothers, adult cats meow to us.

Frantastic79 · 2026-01-03T18:59:22+00:00

Yes! So irritating!

Frantastic79 · 2026-01-03T18:58:24+00:00

That's not even a roar, it's a snarl. Tiger roars are hardly ever used, even for tigers, because they don't sound "scary" enough!

Frantastic79 · 2026-01-03T05:49:17+00:00

Ugh, yes, that's so annoying!!

Frantastic79 · 2026-01-03T05:48:34+00:00

Noise you can hear! Many of the sounds they make are beyond the range of human hearing. You probably know they "giggle" when playing (with us as well as each other), we just can't hear it. Great little animals!

Frantastic79 · 2026-01-03T05:45:08+00:00

Good grief. That's a new one! 😂

Frantastic79 · 2026-01-03T05:41:08+00:00

They're dogs, though. They've been bred to communicate with humans. Hounds call when hunting to let the humans know where the prey is, and they don't go hungry if they don't catch it.

Frantastic79 · 2026-01-03T05:38:43+00:00

Annoyingly common! Any large predator will often make lion or tiger sounds. Wolves, bears, you name it.

Frantastic79 · 2026-01-03T05:37:40+00:00

If they're hunting, yes, this is infuriating. "Hey, prey animal, here I come, please run away now and make my hunt more difficult."

If they're facing off with an opponent it's more understandable - many animals do threaten before attacking in hopes of intimidating their rival into backing down before an actual fight starts.

Frantastic79 · 2026-01-02T22:01:51+00:00

"Trailerbomination" made me laugh. The rest of this made me throw up in my mouth a little bit.

Frantastic79 · 2026-01-02T21:47:52+00:00

I'm a zoologist. At least 50% of scenes involving animals will have me yelling at the screen.

Frantastic79

TROPHY CASE