Childhood Misconceptions

[NotUrsula]

Well, I didn't come up with this one on my own, so I'm not sure it counts; it was my mother's invention. She *really* hated the sound of whistles, so in order to make sure that I never blew a whistle, she told me that when you blow a whistle, the fire dept. comes, and that if there is no fire, they bill you for coming. She also added that it cost so much that we would have to sell our house to pay them, and then we would be homeless, and it would be my fault. (Yeah, my Mom was a charmer.)

All I have to say is, thank God there was never a fire in our home when I was a child. I would have stood there blowing a whistle for all I was worth, while the place burned down around our ears.

 

[tvguy]

According to my mom I used to call yard sticks garden rulers.

 

[izzy]

When I was little I thought the reason married couples got divorced was because the husband wouldn’t buy the wife a fur coat. I have absolutely no idea how I came to this conclusion.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

That thing that flies through the skies with a blades on top of it is an "apricopter".

One day, when I was young, I asked my mother when she was going to be a lady. She asked what I meant. Apparently, in my (young) mind you're only a lady if you wear earrings (she didn't wear earrings).

 

[fly girl]

I remember once when I was probably 5 years old and for some reason I needed help getting dressed. My Dad called me over to the living room so he could help me, but the TV was on with the news. I wouldn't go out there because I thought the anchorman would see me undressed. I thought since we can see him through the TV, he could see us.

 

[willowsnn3]

When I was little, my older brother had me convinced that bologna was really "monkey meat" & those little round green peas were those bugs that roll up into a ball.

 

[Chickenlady]

If I recall, that Skydiver was going ot flip upside down at the top regardless. There was a steering wheel (like in the center of the Teacups but horizontal to the car), but it was neearly impossible to keep it upright, at least for kids. My sister, cousin and I used to try to on the one at Rocky Point. Anyway, the fun was in spinning the thing anyway!

I used to LOVE Rocky Point!!!! And their clamcakes.

 

[luvthatduke]

I refused to try/eat Scalloped Potatoes because they couldn't
convince me they weren't scallops.

Just like in The Santa Clause, I thought for years that there was
a "nunsuchaclatter" ladder company!

DH grew up thinking that EVERY guy who worked in the filling station (remember that term?)
was named "Chief."
Because that is how his dad greeted every station attendant.

 

[RedAngie]

I, too, thought mincemeat pie was actually meat, from a cute furry woodland creature like a raccoon or opossum.

And cream of tartar was the actual creamy tartar sauce, not dried or powdered.

Yes, cats were female and dogs were male.

I couldn’t understand how the ferris wheel cars DIDN’T go upside down at the top.

I thought potato was spelled with a B. Ba-tay-toe. That’s what it sounded like to me.

 

[BrianL]

I used to LOVE Rocky Point!!!! And their clamcakes.

Yeah, when we visited my dad for the summer in Rhode Island we would always take a day there with our cousin and my aunt & uncle. I remember eating at the big chowder hall. I can't remember all of the rides, but I do remember that Skydiver ride, plus several amusement park staples like a log ride and a cheesy ride-through haunted house. We'd have so much fun.

 

[RedAngie]

I remember once when I was probably 5 years old and for some reason I needed help getting dressed. My Dad called me over to the living room so he could help me, but the TV was on with the news. I wouldn't go out there because I thought the anchorman would see me undressed. I thought since we can see him through the TV, he could see us.

Well, the hostess on Romper Room could see you through her Magic Mirror, so it makes sense that a news anchor could do the same.



It’s my understanding that the show was franchised and each TV market had its own hostess. Some smaller markets purchased the show from a larger city.

My local hostess saw “Angie” at least twice. I was in heaven!!!

 

[RedAngie]

Yeah, when we visited my dad for the summer in Rhode Island we would always take a day there with our cousin and my aunt & uncle. I remember eating at the big chowder hall. I can't remember all of the rides, but I do remember that Skydiver ride, plus several amusement park staples like a log ride and a cheesy ride-through haunted house. We'd have so much fun.

I visited Rocky Point once, about 1986. I don’t remember if the Skydiver was there, but they did have the double decker Sky Wheel. I was always afraid to try The Skydiver anyway.

Another thing I remember is the Sky Ride, the aerial gondolas with the bar the lowered across your lap and where your legs dangled over the edge of the seat.

At the halfway turnaround point, in two or three gondolas in front of us, the teens raised the bar and jumped out. I’m sure it was low to the ground at that point. Then they snuck off into the woods, presumably to engage in nefarious activity.

 

[AndreaDM]

Oh, I also thought there was coffee in coffee cake for YEARS.

 

[RedAngie]

About bridges. I was 8 when the incident at Chappaquidick occurred. I didn’t understand and was told by my mother that “a man drove off a bridge.”

About a week later I saw photos in Life magazine. Not to make light of the tragedy, but I was disappointed when I saw the photos of the bridge.

I was expecting something majestic like the Golden Gate Bridge, not some little rinky-dink wooden bridge over a pond.

 

[OhDannyBoy]

I didn't meet a single person who's parents were not divorced until my teens.

I just thought that was how it was.

 

[belle032]

These are too funny!

Mine is I used to think turning the lights on in the car while my parents were driving at night was illegal. I have strong memories of them making a big deal out of it if we ever needed the overhead light for anything and we had to do it as quickly as possible. So I assumed we would get in trouble by the police!

 

[LuvOrlando]

Lying used to be illegal, this is the world I grew up in and it was comforting but in 2013 they changed the laws so now it's perfectly legal.... and here we are in quite a mess.

If where we are was the goal, well done, if this was not the goal, maybe it's time to put the thinking caps back on.

 

[luvsvacation]

I was extremely naive and sheltered growing up. I thought adults always did the right thing. I knew kids/teens did bad things like use profanity, sneak out, drink or smoke. I did not do these things but I went to public school so I knew most kids did. I truly believed adults were all “good”. When I was 18 and got my first job, on day one my boss (middle aged woman said the S word and I was absolutely shocked!!! I thought that was just a rebellious teen thing! It’s taken me a LONG time to realize the things I grew up knowing as good and bad aren’t really what’s good and bad…

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I refused to try/eat Scalloped Potatoes because they couldn't
convince me they weren't scallops.

Just like in The Santa Clause, I thought for years that there was
a "nunsuchaclatter" ladder company!

DH grew up thinking that EVERY guy who worked in the filling station (remember that term?)
was named "Chief."
Because that is how his dad greeted every station attendant.

On the flip side of that, for the longest time I thought when people were talking about scallops they were talking about potatoes

 

[Babs Johnson]

I just thought of another one. I always thought the frozen ice-cream-like fruit-based dessert was called "sherbert". That's how my parents pronounced it. With two Rs. So I assumed it was spelled that way as well.

Apparently, both are right?

I didn't realize that it wasn't "sherbert" until college when a friend said "sherbet." I told him he was crazy and he said the same about me. The next time we were at a supermarket he proved he was right.

DH grew up thinking that EVERY guy who worked in the filling station (remember that term?)
was named "Chief."
Because that is how his dad greeted every station attendant.

That was a standard salutation from one guy to another when you didn't know his name.

Also: Pal, Buddy, Boss, Chum, etc.