Are You Ever Surprised at What People Don't Know?

[Jenny in Florida]

As a college graduate, it's shocking how much I've learned since becoming a homeschooler. :glare:

 

Agreed, but I always assumed I had this problem because I went to less-than-stellar, public schools (in the 1970s, when they were much more interested in making sure you were a "whole person" than in actually teaching you anything) and then checked out early.

 

I still consider myself indifferently educated, and I'm mostly self-taught at that. So, yes, it continues to blow my mind when people whom I assume are better educated than I am don't know things my kids do.

[Ravin]

We were at a Mardi Gras parade a few months ago. It was the Krewe of Centaur parade and the lead float had a very large centaur on the front. A girl, around eighteen or so, said "Oh, look! It's half man, half horse!" I thought she was kidding, so I turned around and looked at her. She was seriously surprised. I smiled at her and said (very nicely) "That's a centaur. It's supposed to be half man, half horse." She was was genuinely surprised and thanked me for telling her. :)

 

 

Evidently "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" was before her time.

 

I once caught out one of my college professors. It was an upper-leve archaeology class on human environmental impact, and when she discussed one paper she assigned us, she stated that the paper said basically the opposite of what it said. I argued with her in the middle of class in front of everyone. Which mostly demonstrates that one thing I don't seem to have ever learned is much tact. But a woman with a PhD should at least be able to read a paper and get as much out of it as her students, right?

 

She was a palynologist, and seemed reasonably intelligent, but she was clearly in over her head when we talked about anything other than pollen.

[Leah]

I made a joke last night in my Bible Study that my kids get Martin Luther mixed up with Martin Luther King, Jr. all the time. No one in my group knew who Martin Luther was! These are smart, educated women. I always thought Martin Luther was one of most recognized names from the reformation period and basically a household name for Protestants. It really threw me for a loop.

 

I was grading English essays at the Junior Classical League convention and one of the seniors wrote a whole paragraph about Martin Luther King Jr, but she consistently used the name Martin Luther.

[Geo]

Oh man, I went to school in South FL too! I was a wildchild and failed miserably as a student (hey, it was 1972...). I finally dropped out of school after 6 weeks of 9th grade. The feelings were mutual...they didn't even come looking for me. It was the best "mistake" I ever made. My education began the day I left. I was a passionate lover of books and had a weird relationship with our set of encyclopedias.:drool: I seem to have a gift for "information acquisition and dissemination". Real life and followed interests always make for a rich education.

No arguments, please. That's my experience and I'm stickin' to it!

 

Geo

P.S.

If you think knowledge is rare, try looking for true wisdom!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am a native of South Florida and went to public school my entire life. There is ALOT I don't know. That's one of the things I love most about homeschooling. I'm giving myself the education I never had at the same time I'm educating my daughter. Homeschooling rules! :)

Edited April 24, 2009 by Geo

[Stacia]

Years ago, I had a roommate who truly believed the way to address Hitler was to say, "Hi ho Hitler!" as if he were one of the seven dwarfs.

 

This one had me rolling on the floor! :lol:

[Stacia]

I am really not making this up... I lived 8 years surrounded by his wisdom. I felt like a frickin' genius.

 

I hope he was at least good-looking to help compensate your time spent with him. ;)

 

(I'm saying that in total jest because a good friend of my sister always used to say that she wanted a good-looking husband, but he didn't need brains because she had enough for the both of them.)

 

:lol:

[Ibbygirl]

Usually, I'm not too shocked. However, this encounter DID really surprise me. My EXBIL has a bachelors and an MBA. His wife has a Ph.D. They truly thought she would not be able to nurse a baby because she has small breasts. BIL said, "They can't hold enough milk! The baby would starve!" He was dead serious. I bought them a book from the Mayo Clinic about pregnancy and childbirth.

 

Years ago, I had a roommate who truly believed the way to address Hitler was to say, "Hi ho Hitler!" as if he were one of the seven dwarfs.

 

OH, and this one made me laugh out loud. A friend made the comment, "The only information you can trust these days is the media! They have to tell the truth or they get into trouble!"

 

I know I've said some real zingers; I just can't remember what they are! :tongue_smilie:

 

 

Wow!! Too funny! :tongue_smilie::lol:

[Peela]

Yes, I am often surprised by how little people know about health issues, or take responsibility for their own health.

However, I was terribly ignorant about where many countries of the world actually are until i started homeschooling my kids. I just had no inner visual picture of the world even though I loved and did Honours in Geography in highschool. Geography in Australia is more like Earth Science in the U.S.

However, I did grow up with a dad who really felt it was important to instill a lot of "common knowledge" in his kids, and I did find I knew a lot of things others didn't. However, there were so many areas I was blank on. I had a boyfriend who was into art history- I didn't have a clue till he took me to bookshops to look through huge coffee table art books, what the different schools were, and suddenly a whole new world opened up. And there is so much I have learned through homeschooling.

 

I love that feeling when I get an interest in a new subject and a whole new world opens up that was only ever on the periphery of my consciousness. It makes life rich.

[Ibbygirl]

This really cracked me up! Were you trying for irony or did it just happen? "Alot" is one of the most common grammatical/spelling errors made in the English language. It's supposed to be "a lot" in the context you were using it. Otherwise, you could "allot" each child their allowance. But there is no "alot". :D I love your humility, though. Good trait.

 

 

Oh man!! LOOOL I wish I could say I was being ironic then it would have looked like I was clever or something hehe, but the truth is I've always written a lot as alot. hehehe I told you that there is A LOT I don't know. And trust me, it wasn't humility, it was a statement of fact. I'm still mad about the poor education I got in Public School. I was totally unprepared for college when I got there and it really cost me, financially as well as in time. Grrrrr. But don't get me started on that one... hehe :tongue_smilie:

[Geo]

Wow!! Too funny! :tongue_smilie::lol:

 

Here's one:

I knew a grown woman who (being pregnant at the time) was afraid to eat popcorn because it might get stuck in the baby's head.....

 

Who should we feel more sorry for, her or the baby?

 

Geo

[Ibbygirl]

Oh man, I went to school in South FL too! I was a wildchild and failed miserably as a student (hey, it was 1972...). I finally dropped out of school after 6 weeks of 9th grade. The feelings were mutual...they didn't even come looking for me. It was the best "mistake" I ever made. My education began the day I left. I was a passionate lover of books and had a weird relationship with our set of encyclopedias.:drool: I seem to have a gift for "information acquisition and dissemination". Real life and followed interests always make for a rich education.

No arguments, please. That's my experience and I'm stickin' to it!

 

Geo

P.S.

If you think knowledge is rare, try looking for true wisdom!

 

 

You know, that's what gets me too. I loved to learn when I was a kid. I was curious and wanted to know about everything. When we had study hall in Elementary School, I would read the encylopedias and take notes! NOTES!! hehehe I love to read and most of what I know I taught myself. I can honestly say that most of my time in public school was totally wasted. I learned absolutely nothing new beyond the 7th grade! I was a good student. I was rarely absent, always got A's and B's and my schools failed me miserably. I cannot even imagine the kids who didn't like school and who had no interest in learning. It's an outrage really!

[Spy Car]

I've got one that ties in Martin Luther King, Jr and the Bible.

 

I worked on a documentary film on Maya Lin, the acclaimed designer of the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington DC: Maya Lin: A Clear Strong Vision (Academy Award for Feature Documentary 1995).

 

Maya was commissioned to do a memorial for the Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery, Alabama.

 

When we get the footage in, I take a look, and see she's designed a beautiful reflecting fountain engraved with the words:

 

...UNTIL JUSTICE ROLLS DOWN LIKE WATERS AND RIGHTEOUSNESS LIKE A MIGHTY STREAM.

 

-MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

 

And I had to laugh. Because while this did come from a "speech" of Dr King's, may his name live forever, it's a quote from the Bible :lol:

 

Amos 5:24

 

Bill

[Laura Corin]

I made a joke last night in my Bible Study that my kids get Martin Luther mixed up with Martin Luther King, Jr. all the time. No one in my group knew who Martin Luther was! These are smart, educated women. I always thought Martin Luther was one of most recognized names from the reformation period and basically a household name for Protestants. It really threw me for a loop.

 

I met an American guy who was very proud of his Welsh heritage. He went on and on about it (family trees, festivals, history), then mentioned that he was planning a trip to Wales. I thought I'd reassure him on language issues, so I said, lightly, 'Even in Welsh-speaking areas you'll get by in English with no problem.' He was completely astounded. He had no idea that people in Wales spoke Welsh (about 20% do, and of those about 60% do daily).

 

I wouldn't have had any problem with that, except that he had set himself up as an expert. When the Oscars committee had to be sent a Welsh-English dictionary before they would accept a Welsh language entry into the foreign language category, I wasn't surprised or shocked - they hadn't made false claims to knowledge.

 

Best wishes

 

Laura

[Ibbygirl]

Here's one:

I knew a grown woman who (being pregnant at the time) was afraid to eat popcorn because it might get stuck in the baby's head.....

 

Who should we feel more sorry for, her or the baby?

 

Geo

 

 

:lol::lol: ROFL Ay, ay, this thread is too funny. I know that I have said some real whoppers myself, I just wish I could remember one.

[Ibbygirl]

I've got one that ties in Martin Luther King, Jr and the Bible.

 

I worked on a documentary film on Maya Lin, the acclaimed designer of the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington DC: Maya Lin: A Clear Strong Vision (Academy Award for Feature Documentary 1995).

 

Maya was commissioned to do a memorial for the Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery, Alabama.

 

When we get the footage in, I take a look, and see she's designed a beautiful reflecting fountain engraved with the words:

 

...UNTIL JUSTICE ROLLS DOWN LIKE WATERS AND RIGHTEOUSNESS LIKE A MIGHTY STREAM.

 

-MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

 

And I had to laugh. Because while this did come from a "speech" of Dr King's, may his name live forever, it's a quote from the Bible :lol:

 

Amos 5:24

 

Bill

 

 

:) :) I actually saw that documentary on Maya Lin. :) I feel smart now! :) hehe

[Spy Car]

:) :) I actually saw that documentary on Maya Lin. :) I feel smart now! :) hehe

 

Very cool! I hope you liked it :D

 

The sequence on the Civil Rights Memorial was my favorite part of the film.

 

Bill

[Ibbygirl]

I met an American guy who was very proud of his Welsh heritage. He went on and on about it (family trees, festivals, history), then mentioned that he was planning a trip to Wales. I thought I'd reassure him on language issues, so I said, lightly, 'Even in Welsh-speaking areas you'll get by in English with no problem.' He was completely astounded. He had no idea that people in Wales spoke Welsh (about 20% do, and of those about 60% do daily).

 

I wouldn't have had any problem with that, except that he had set himself up as an expert. When the Oscars committee had to be sent a Welsh-English dictionary before they would accept a Welsh language entry into the foreign language category, I wasn't surprised or shocked - they hadn't made false claims to knowledge.

 

Best wishes

 

Laura

 

 

Oh your post about the Welsh man made me think of my best friend when I was in high school. She and her family had defected from East Germany and finally wound up down in South Florida where I met her at school. One day in English class we had "special visitors" from England. They came to talk to us about England and to answer questions. My friend raised her hand and asked them how they celebrated the 4th of July. hehehe The man just said, "ummm, we don't really celebrate that holiday." hehehe

[Ibbygirl]

Very cool! I hope you liked it :D

 

The sequence on the Civil Rights Memorial was my favorite part of the film.

 

Bill

 

 

I did. It was very moving. I think she did an amazing job on that memorial. It is very powerful. I've never seen it in person and I cannot even imagine the emotions that would come over me if I really could take in its scale and size. Just seeing it on tv moves me to tears.

[Spy Car]

I did. It was very moving. I think she did an amazing job on that memorial. It is very powerful. I've never seen it in person and I cannot even imagine the emotions that would come over me if I really could take in its scale and size. Just seeing it on tv moves me to tears.

 

It's really a powerful thing to experience. I shed tears. Maya really created something special.

 

Bill

[Ibbygirl]

It's really a powerful thing to experience. I shed tears. Maya really created something special.

 

Bill

 

 

:iagree::iagree: wholeheartedly. She really made a masterpiece. :)

[Laura Corin]

One day in English class we had "special visitors" from England. They came to talk to us about England and to answer questions. My friend raised her hand and asked them how they celebrated the 4th of July. hehehe The man just said, "ummm, we don't really celebrate that holiday." hehehe

 

Hmmmm... It's not a big holiday in Britain.

 

Laura

[Ibbygirl]

Hmmmm... It's not a big holiday in Britain.

 

Laura

 

 

hehehehe I would imagine not. I felt so sorry for her too because no sooner did she hear that man's reply that she realized what she had said, but it was too late by that point. Poor thing! hehe :)

[Laura Corin]

hehehehe I would imagine not. I felt so sorry for her too because no sooner did she hear that man's reply that she realized what she had said, but it was too late by that point. Poor thing! hehe :)

 

We all say stupid things, but she did have the underlying knowledge to realise (even if too late) that she had made no sense.

 

Laura

[Jean in Newcastle]

I remember a whopper I made in High School. Someone asked me a question about how we celebrated Independence Day. I had no idea what he was talking about until he said. . . "you know, the Fourth of July"?! I had just never heard of it referred to that way. (In my defense, I was born and raised in Japan). But I will never make that mistake again! :blush:

[Ibbygirl]

We all say stupid things, but she did have the underlying knowledge to realise (even if too late) that she had made no sense.

 

Laura

 

 

Yes. It was just that that week happened to be the week of 4th of July so I guess she thought it was a good question at the time. hehe She had her own opportunity though because in that same class we had to do papers on a certain topic and then give an oral presentation before the class. She did her paper on the Berlin wall. When she mentioned in her presentation that she was from Berlin a girl in the class asked her, "Is it true that it's all dark and cloudy on the East side and all sunny on the West side of the wall?" My friend just looked at her and said, "no, the weather is the same on both sides of the wall. The wall isn't that high." hehehehehe :tongue_smilie:

[Annie Laurie]

Well, most people think my cat is named Puck because we like hockey. :001_smile:

 

But I'm with everyone else, there are so many things I've learned and am still learning myself on this homeschooling journey. We homeschoolers aren't satisfied until we question and examine everything ourselves and that curiosity is what a lot of people seem to be missing, maybe it was schooled right out of them.

[Ibbygirl]

I remember a whopper I made in High School. Someone asked me a question about how we celebrated Independence Day. I had no idea what he was talking about until he said. . . "you know, the Fourth of July"?! I had just never heard of it referred to that way. (In my defense, I was born and raised in Japan). But I will never make that mistake again! :blush:

 

 

:) Aww that's a cute one though. hehe ;)

 

Arg. I know I've said so many stupid things in my life, why can't I think of one?? Ah, here is one, but I was pretty small when I said it. I remember when I was in the cafeteria breakfast line in Elementary school. I think I was in 2nd grade. The kid in line behind me was on one of those, "my dad is better than your dad, my mom is better than your mom" kicks. I said to him, "oh yeah, well my grandpa is better than your grandpa because he's Spanish. His name is Abuelo." hehehehe I had no idea that abuelo meant grandfather. I always just thought it was his name. hehehe

[Stacie]

Oh your post about the Welsh man made me think of my best friend when I was in high school. She and her family had defected from East Germany and finally wound up down in South Florida where I met her at school. One day in English class we had "special visitors" from England. They came to talk to us about England and to answer questions. My friend raised her hand and asked them how they celebrated the 4th of July. hehehe The man just said, "ummm, we don't really celebrate that holiday." hehehe

 

 

This reminded me of a story my dh still laughs about. He was talking with a coworker in London about a project deadline. The coworker asked that some info be ready the following day. Dh absent mindedly said "Do you remember that tomorrow is a holiday? It's the Fourth."

 

Coworker politely replied, "Um, we don't generally celebrate it. Don't you remember that you guys won?"

[Ibbygirl]

We homeschoolers aren't satisfied until we question and examine everything ourselves and that curiosity is what a lot of people seem to be missing, maybe it was schooled right out of them.

 

 

Sadly I think you are so right. It's tragic. I always wonder how many kids are born with the natural potential to change the world and we will never know who they are because they are a victim of their education. :(

[Ibbygirl]

This reminded me of a story my dh still laughs about. He was talking with a coworker in London about a project deadline. The coworker asked that some info be ready the following day. Dh absent mindedly said "Do you remember that tomorrow is a holiday? It's the Fourth."

 

Coworker politely replied, "Um, we don't generally celebrate it. Don't you remember that you guys won?"

 

 

hehehehehe

 

I have one, when I was a kid I would use the word "nationality" all the time thinking that it meant heritage. I don't even know how many American kids I have asked in my life, "so what's your nationality?" hehe

[Stacie]

I am a native of South Florida and went to public school my entire life. There is ALOT I don't know. That's one of the things I love most about homeschooling. I'm giving myself the education I never had at the same time I'm educating my daughter. Homeschooling rules! :)

 

My disenchantment with public school came in high school. My teacher and I were talking about her new baby she just brought back from China. The principal joined in and asked her if she had been learning to speak Chinese. She explained that while there, she had an interpreter so she hadn't learned too much. He rolled his eyes and told her to get to it now because when the baby was old enough to start talking, she was going to have problems communicating with him. I don't think he ever really understood language is learned, despite us spending at least five minutes trying to explain it to him.

Edited April 24, 2009 by Stacie

[Ibbygirl]

My disenchantment with public school came in high school. My teacher and I were talking about her new baby she just brought back from China. The principal joined in and asked her if she had been learning to speak Chinese. She explained that while there, she had an interpreter so she hadn't learned too much. He rolled his eyes and told her to get to it now then because when the baby was old enough to start talking, she was going to have problems communicating with him. I don't think he ever really understood language is learned, despite us spending at least five minutes trying to explain it to him.

 

 

ROFL :lol::lol::lol: Oh my gosh!! I feel guilty laughing because that is REALLY sad, but that was just too funny! hehe

[Jean in Newcastle]

My neighbor asked me to come over and give her a Baby 101 when she was pregnant. (I really admire her for asking for this, btw). I was explaining some basic stuff about breastfeeding vs. bottle feeding and happened to mention offhandedly something about getting up for a middle of the night feeding. She said, "You mean they don't sleep all night?" I was speechless for a moment (this woman was in her 40's and even if it's your first, most people know that babies don't sleep all night esp. at first). So then our Baby 101 got a whole lot more basic!

[Ibbygirl]

My neighbor asked me to come over and give her a Baby 101 when she was pregnant. (I really admire her for asking for this, btw). I was explaining some basic stuff about breastfeeding vs. bottle feeding and happened to mention offhandedly something about getting up for a middle of the night feeding. She said, "You mean they don't sleep all night?" I was speechless for a moment (this woman was in her 40's and even if it's your first, most people know that babies don't sleep all night esp. at first). So then our Baby 101 got a whole lot more basic!

 

 

OOOH I was guilty of this one as well. I am the youngest in my family and my mom is the youngest in hers as well and I never was around babies growing up. Actually, my first born child was the first baby I had ever really been around. I remember when I was pregnant people would tell me that newborns sleep most of the time. I thought that was great, I didn't realize until she was born that they sleep for an hour and wake up all night long. That was a big shock to me. hehe :)

[TN Mama]

I admit there is much that I don't know, and so much of that would fall into the catagory of things I *should* know.

 

Now, when my oldest daughter was an infant and we were at my mom & stepdad's house for Thanksgiving, my sil kept going on & on about how she could never breastfeed. She proceeded to list all the reasons why she couldn't including, "It just isn't natural." It was at that point I got up & left the room. I didn't want to ruin the holiday by educating my sil.

[Jenny in Florida]

We all say stupid things, but she did have the underlying knowledge to realise (even if too late) that she had made no sense.

 

Yes, see, that's what really gets me about some of these stories (and what I experience in real life, too). It's one thing not to know something. There are more things I don't know than those that I do. What absolutely flabbergasts me each time I encounter it is when people don't know something I think is common knowledge, don't think it's weird and aren't even embarrassed.

 

I've lost count of the blank stares I've encountered mentioning classical music, good books, etc.

[stripe]

Does anyone ever think George Washington Carver is the same person as George Washington? (Curious based on Martin Luther (King) confusion.)

[Jeannie in NJ]

the posts about Hi ho Hilter and about the 4th of July not being celebrated in England (how dare they not celebrate the same holidays as us, they probably don't celebrate Thanksgiving either lol) is really making me laugh.

 

When we got our dd, at age 4 months from Korea, people would ask us if we could understand her as dh and I were not Korean. We would reply "she is only 4 months old, she is not really talking much yet"

[stripe]

People have made a lot of weird comments about languages to us (we have bilingual kids); people always assume they have to be "taught" the other language. I've heard it all in that department (or at least, I hope so!). But I tend to think it comes from a good place.

 

It's amazing how many dumb comments I've made, and I am glad no one has made a list.

[MyThreeSons]

not having the desire to know. My natural inclination would be to go look it up.

 

The tour guide got a very surprised look on her face and said something like, "Well, I'll be! I've worked here for 8 years and never knew what that meant! That's why I like this job--I learn something new almost every day!"

[Ibbygirl]

When we got our dd, at age 4 months from Korea, people would ask us if we could understand her as dh and I were not Korean. We would reply "she is only 4 months old, she is not really talking much yet"

 

 

:lol::lol: That's just too funny. :) hehehe

[Apiphobic]

When dh and I had our boy/girl twins, one of the most common questions people asked after finding out that one twin was a boy and the other twin was a girl was, "Are they identical?"

 

I did get annoyed after hearing that so often, but I've come to believe that it's not really ignorance. I think it's more a lack of exposure or awareness of whatever the topic or situation is. You know how you go throughout the day not even seeing a specific thing like, for example, a Mini Cooper? Then after you've bought one or maybe looked at one and decided that's the car you'd love to have, you see them all over the place? It's not that you were dumb or uneducated, it's just that you weren't aware of it until you connected it somehow in your life experience.

 

I hope this makes a little sense. I've enjoyed reading the funny stories in this thread, and I know I've had my share of whoops moments. I'm sure I'll continue to as well.

[melissel]

Yes, I am amazed when someone does not know something that I think is common knowledge. Usually, I have some sort of humbling experience right after I have the thought.

 

This is SO true.

[Ibbygirl]

When dh and I had our boy/girl twins, one of the most common questions people asked after finding out that one twin was a boy and the other twin was a girl was, "Are they identical?"

 

I did get annoyed after hearing that so often, but I've come to believe that it's not really ignorance. I think it's more a lack of exposure or awareness of whatever the topic or situation is. You know how you go throughout the day not even seeing a specific thing like, for example, a Mini Cooper? Then after you've bought one or maybe looked at one and decided that's the car you'd love to have, you see them all over the place? It's not that you were dumb or uneducated, it's just that you weren't aware of it until you connected it somehow in your life experience.

 

I hope this makes a little sense. I've enjoyed reading the funny stories in this thread, and I know I've had my share of whoops moments. I'm sure I'll continue to as well.

 

 

ooh ooh, your post reminded me of my friend. She has 2 foster kids that she cares for. Both are boys. One boy is black and one boy is white. They are both the same age though. She always dresses the boys the same, ie. khaki shorts and a red polo shirt. And she told me that whenever she goes out people ask her if they are twins. :) hehe

[Crissy]

Coworker politely replied, "Um, we don't generally celebrate it. Don't you remember that you guys won?"

 

That is hilarious!

What a fantastic reply.

[kiana]

Coworker politely replied, "Um, we don't generally celebrate it. Don't you remember that you guys won?"

 

 

 

People occasionally ask my British friend that. He likes to tell them that they celebrate Thanksgiving on the 4th of July instead ;)

[Spy Car]

I'll tell one on me.

 

Years back, we "city-folk" got our first clutch of bantam Rhode Island Red chickens.

 

Well the little chicks thrived and grew, and before too long one of the young pullets (that's what we call them now that we're old-timers) laid an egg.

 

And, I kid you not, I had a moment of panic. I thought: This hen is too young to get pregnant and carry a baby. Oh dear, oh dear.

 

Then it hit me :001_huh:

 

Bill

Edited April 24, 2009 by Spy Car

[Elaine]

I am often surprised at what *I* don't know. :)

 

Me, too. At least I am in great company.:001_smile:

[Elaine]

Yes, I am amazed when someone does not know something that I think is common knowledge. Usually, I have some sort of humbling experience right after I have the thought.

 

:D Yep. Like commenting on how clumsy my son is and then I trip over nothing!:lol:

[Elaine]

You guys are killing me! These are so funny! I am amazed at what other people don't know and what I don't know; that's why I try not to talk too much!

 

Here's mine: We went to a museum in St. Louis yesterday and the tour guide was talking about a famous man's wives. The plaque on the wall said, "Mary Jones nee Smith", so I explained to my kids that "nee" referred to the woman's maiden name. The tour guide got a very surprised look on her face and said something like, "Well, I'll be! I've worked here for 8 years and never knew what that meant! That's why I like this job--I learn something new almost every day!"

 

I don't care if someone doesn't know what that means, unless you're the tour guide who talks about info on that plaque every day!!

 

Chelle

 

And good for him that he was so teachable!:001_smile: