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Things you can't believe people have never heard of

(334 Posts)
Biscuitmuncher Fri 26-Mar-21 21:08:14

Well my children are in their early twenties and I was talking about the big ship stuck in the Suez Canal. To which they all said "The what!" I just can't believe they've never heard of it

GrandmaKT Fri 26-Mar-21 21:20:15

A friend asked me this week what waffles are.

BlueBelle Fri 26-Mar-21 21:35:12

Do you mean they haven’t read about the stuck shop or they don’t know what the Suez Canal is ?

ixion Fri 26-Mar-21 21:38:24

?The Incredible String Band ?

EllanVannin Fri 26-Mar-21 21:40:02

Old Moore's Almanac.

Shandy57 Fri 26-Mar-21 21:41:24

I was speaking to a friend about my move, and told her I was worried about my fragile Clarice Cliff and Beswick ware china, she'd never heard of either. Or Liberty.

Shandy57 Fri 26-Mar-21 21:42:02

My late husband loved the Incredible String Band, I was forced to sit through an evening with Robin Williams smile

Shandy57 Fri 26-Mar-21 21:43:04

Williamson!

annsixty Fri 26-Mar-21 21:50:22

My GD didn’t know what a census was until last week when I was filling ours in.
I was surprised but shouldn’t have been really, she would have been 12 last time and wouldn’t have been interested.

shysal Fri 26-Mar-21 21:57:41

The term 'budgie smugglers' came up in a light hearted conversation with a friend. I was surprised that he had never heard of them!
I am often surprised that certain things that I thought were common knowledge have escaped the notice of GNetters too, shown by their comments.

Susiewong65 Fri 26-Mar-21 22:06:12

A telegram, the younger generation have never heard of them.

I can remember them being read out at weddings, to the happy couple, when a guest was unable to attend in person.

SueDonim Fri 26-Mar-21 22:08:26

My 93yo mum asked me what budgie smugglers were recently. ? I managed to explain without resorting to crudities. grin

Pantglas2 Fri 26-Mar-21 22:12:35

I thought cottaging was a weekend away.....?

Deedaa Fri 26-Mar-21 22:14:07

A young chap came to fix our boiler last week and I found myself explaining how we all relied on adverts in Exchange and Mart in the days before the internet.

Lucca Fri 26-Mar-21 22:17:10

My very Well educated bloke hadn’t heard “saltire “......

grandmajet Fri 26-Mar-21 22:32:36

The subject of Scottish independence came up in a zoom chat with three well educated friends a couple of days ago. None of them had heard of the Barnett formula!

BlueBelle Fri 26-Mar-21 22:34:07

I was talking to my 20 year old about when his uncle had his scooter in the back garden he said wasn’t he too old for a scooter I said no a scooter like the mods used to ride Not only had he never heard of a scooter but didn’t know what a mod was ??I showed him a photo and he said oh you mean a ‘ped’ But still had no idea what a mod was

BlueBelle Fri 26-Mar-21 22:35:07

Well I ve never heard of a Barnett formula is it something to do with Ena Sharples ?

welbeck Fri 26-Mar-21 22:37:43

Lucca

My very Well educated bloke hadn’t heard “saltire “......

well unless they were in Scotland, i don't think most people would have a clue.

welbeck Fri 26-Mar-21 22:41:22

years ago, in London, a woman who had a degree in law and was employed as a consumer advisor, had never heard the word, awning.
i was speaking of a trader, and eventually she said, do you mean the little man in the kiosk.
but there wasn't a kiosk, he just stood under an awning.
she was from Manchester area. is that word not used there ?
she had also never heard of almshouses. or alms. i had to spell both awning and alms, and she looked quite blank.

welbeck Fri 26-Mar-21 22:44:07

interesting how the cultural milieu is has changed.
by the time i was 12 i had heard the word census, and gathered the meaning from the context, numerous times in the nativity story.

Urmstongran Fri 26-Mar-21 22:55:50

I was enjoying an afternoon of wine and laughter with a group of ladies last summer. One was a few weeks away from her pearl wedding anniversary. One of the friends suggested it would be lovely if her husband gave her a pearl necklace to mark the occasion. A few of us spluttered into our glasses whilst the friend and two others looked on quite bemused .... the innocents.
??

B9exchange Fri 26-Mar-21 23:33:19

Good Heavens Urms I had to look that one up, I had a very sheltered upbringing! blush

Luckylegs Fri 26-Mar-21 23:38:13

Am I being thick! What does a pearl necklace mean?

B9exchange Fri 26-Mar-21 23:40:29

Google it Lucky, I am not going to tell you! grin