ADVERTISEMENT

Have you ever let your mind wander and started thinking about something that’s so common, so everyday, that you hadn’t even considered it before? In a minute’s time you come to some mind-blowing realization, feeling like the king of the world and wanting to share your discovery with the world. 

In another minute’s time you understand that everyone else probably already knows this fact and you feel like a bit of a goof. But fret no more, we’ve got you covered with 45 more of these common facts that people only realized later in life!

More info: Reddit

#1

35 Facts That Don’t Need A Lot Of Knowledge To Grasp, But Folks Online Only Recently Realized Not really obvious but x% of y is equal to y% of x

So for example 4% of 75 isn't really easy to figure out at first but if you switch the numbers to 75% of 4, the answer is 3 and that's also your answer to 4% of 75.

Steveman2003 , Pixabay Report

Add photo comments
POST
Mr.G86
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

NGL my mind is blown. I've hated fractions and how to find out the percentage of something for as along as I can remember. But this completely made sense to me TY!

Emma
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Thank you!! Hate fractions, but now Ill happily teach my 7 year old all about them!!

Booker
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Commutative property of multiplication: order of factors doesn't affect answer. However, it's so cool you discovered it on your own!

Norman Beattie
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My best friends son was off the wall smart, couldn't tie his shoe laces but way too smart. on a road trip with our 2 sons. I was trying to use ( at that time ) a new a Texas instruments hand held calculator. Looked similar to the one above. Finally gave up and tossed it on the dash. I started to complain about how confusing they had become to use. I turned to Rick and said " do you know what all of these buttons and characters are used for" ? He simply said yes, of course. Damn 12 year old kid ! He grew up, learned how to tie his shoe laces and is/was the lead actuary for a major U.S. Insurance company !

Bob Brooce
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's called the commutative law. IIRC I learned it in 3rd or 4th grade.

Dave L
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Easy enough with those two numbers but to me it's just as hard to figure out 6% of 75 as it is to figure out 75% of 6.

R Dennis
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I did this often in my head without ever realizing that it was an actual formula... 🤯

Dan St John
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Like the rule of 72. If you want to know how fast your money will double, divide 72 by your current interest rate and the answer will be the number or years it takes to double.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#2

35 Facts That Don’t Need A Lot Of Knowledge To Grasp, But Folks Online Only Recently Realized That raincoats typically have bright colours so you're easier to spot during heavy rain, not because raincoat designers have bad taste

AvoidAtAIICosts , Matt Hardy Report

#3

35 Facts That Don’t Need A Lot Of Knowledge To Grasp, But Folks Online Only Recently Realized There was this really pretty girl in high school who bugged the s**t out of me. Would do obnoxious stuff like go out of her way to talk to me about nothing and one time she laid on me when I had my head down on my desk. She would take my erasers and draw on them and I hated that.

Then I realized she probably liked me.

I realized that, out of the blue, when I was in my 30's.


So watch out ladies. if you show any affection toward me in 15 or 20 years I'll be knockin' on your door still unsure of your intentions!

RatFuck_Debutante , Kobe Report

Add photo comments
POST
Ryan Edwards
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ahhh, there's nothing like that sudden adult onset of embarrassment for childhood stupidity. It's weird how it kinda hits hard with "OMG, they thought I was a complete idiot. They probably think I'm still stupid too".

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
#4

35 Facts That Don’t Need A Lot Of Knowledge To Grasp, But Folks Online Only Recently Realized VERY LATE BUT it's called the alphabet because the Greek "Alphabet" starts with the letter alpha, beta....

RocketSpider-Man , Pixabay Report

#5

35 Facts That Don’t Need A Lot Of Knowledge To Grasp, But Folks Online Only Recently Realized About six months ago, I had an epiphany while opening up a new deodorant. I realized that I could click it up from the bottom and just remove the plastic top once the deodorant had raised up a bit. I've always pulled the plastic piece off before raising the deodorant. Like, tugging on it, using my teeth, etc. I'm 36 years old! I have an engineering degree!! I came out of the bathroom and told my husband about it. I think it made him re-evaluate what he was doing with me lol. Then I called my mom to let her know she failed that step of parenting me.

stcain02 , Clean Wal-Mart Report

#6

35 Facts That Don’t Need A Lot Of Knowledge To Grasp, But Folks Online Only Recently Realized The division symbol ÷ is just a fraction. The two dots represent numbers.

der3009 , Karolina Grabowska Report

ADVERTISEMENT
#7

35 Facts That Don’t Need A Lot Of Knowledge To Grasp, But Folks Online Only Recently Realized I just finished reading Dracula by Bram Stoker.
At the end of the book, there was a little blurb about the author; Abraham Stoker.
Bram is short for Abraham. I didn't know that.

anon , Sanjeev Beekeeper Report

Add photo comments
POST
glowworm2
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I didn’t know that either. Always thought Bram sounded like a pretty badass name.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#8

When the evil villain in cheesy movies shouts "Curses!" It's because he can't shout curses.

hymie0 Report

ADVERTISEMENT
#9

35 Facts That Don’t Need A Lot Of Knowledge To Grasp, But Folks Online Only Recently Realized A chef is called a chef in a restaurant because restaurants originated in France and ‘chef’ just means boss in French.

anon , Rene Asmussen Report

#10

35 Facts That Don’t Need A Lot Of Knowledge To Grasp, But Folks Online Only Recently Realized The houses in Bikini Bottom are car mufflers

rpmmaniac , Paramount Pictures Report

Add photo comments
POST
Pedantic Panda
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And bikini bottom is below bikini atoll, nuclear radiation fall out have rise to sponge Bob.

View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
#12

35 Facts That Don’t Need A Lot Of Knowledge To Grasp, But Folks Online Only Recently Realized That the Guinness beer company is responsible for the Guinness book of world records

brendan008 , Engin Akyurt Report

Add photo comments
POST
Sean
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Michelin stars are given to restaurants in the Michelin guide, which was created and is still maintained by Michelin the tire company.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#13

35 Facts That Don’t Need A Lot Of Knowledge To Grasp, But Folks Online Only Recently Realized Ecuador is spanish for equator and the country is named so because yep....

dontfeedtheibis , Kelly Report

Add photo comments
POST
Mary Kelly
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

don't feel bad...it took me years to realize that the state of vermont was named for the green mountain range...verde montagne...or that the state of arizona is essentially the arid zone in spanish...zona arida...felt so stupid...

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#14

35 Facts That Don’t Need A Lot Of Knowledge To Grasp, But Folks Online Only Recently Realized 42 here. In the song “Jingle bells, Batman smells, Robin laid and egg...” I never knew why Robin would lay and egg. It seemed so random and weird to me. Just this winter, walking down a hallway at work, it finally clicked into place: Robins are birds. Birds lay eggs.

Yep. Sharp tack over here.

weakenedstrain , Pixabay Report

Add photo comments
POST
Hippopotamuses
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I’d understood it to mean Robin farted. When I was a kid, farting was sometimes called laying an egg.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#15

35 Facts That Don’t Need A Lot Of Knowledge To Grasp, But Folks Online Only Recently Realized I was playing Monopoly, and someone owned a load of properties all clustered together. I said “you’ve got a bit of a monopoly on that part of the board. Hey that’s funny, because we’re playing Monopoly, and you got a... oh I see now.”

Phase3isProfit , cottonbro studio Report

Add photo comments
POST
Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My!
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I used to play by myself, with six characters. Each one had a section of board to keep their money under, and a stack of properties next to their money. It doesn't work out so well, though, if cats live with you.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
#16

35 Facts That Don’t Need A Lot Of Knowledge To Grasp, But Folks Online Only Recently Realized 'The Los Angeles Angels' is actually 'The the angels angels'.

DiscoPino , Scott U Report

#17

35 Facts That Don’t Need A Lot Of Knowledge To Grasp, But Folks Online Only Recently Realized The reason that the lower notes are on the left side of the piano is because most people are right handed, and the bass parts are simpler to play, even with the non-dominant hand.

illegalwaffles , Juan Pablo Serrano Arenas Report

Add photo comments
POST
Sean
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As a left hand dominant piano player, I am very aware of this. It caused me a lot of frustration when I first started learning to play.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#18

35 Facts That Don’t Need A Lot Of Knowledge To Grasp, But Folks Online Only Recently Realized Breakfast is named so because you're breaking the fast from when you were sleeping.

earthtojeremiah , cottonbro studio Report

#19

35 Facts That Don’t Need A Lot Of Knowledge To Grasp, But Folks Online Only Recently Realized Tinder app is so called because it helps spark a connection with a Match.

catsrmurderers , cottonbro studio Report

Add photo comments
POST
Ryan Edwards
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

UGH! I hate it when something seems SO OBVIOUS to me ONLY AFTER it is pointed out to me. That is actually quite brilliant.

View more commentsArrow down menu
#20

35 Facts That Don’t Need A Lot Of Knowledge To Grasp, But Folks Online Only Recently Realized That the mommy in that christmas song wasn't cheating with santa but instead, it's the dad dressed in a santa claus costume that's why "I saw mommy kissing santa claus."

maven-blood , GEORGE DESIPRIS Report

ADVERTISEMENT
#21

The fact that I have unusual struggles in life doesn’t mean that my problems are worse or more important than anyone else’s.

There are people out there with problems that are just as annoying and/or numerous, even if they aren’t the exact same as mine.

ThorsBigSweatyArmpit Report

Add photo comments
POST
Kira Okah
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

On the same vein: just because other people struggle and have problems, and their struggles and problems may indeed be worse than yours, that doesn't mean that your struggles and problems are invalid or nothing. If something is difficult for you or you are in pain, you are allowed to stop and focus on that for a time.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#22

35 Facts That Don’t Need A Lot Of Knowledge To Grasp, But Folks Online Only Recently Realized Cigarettes are called cigarettes, as they are small cigars. Cigar-ette

anon , Thomaz Capila Report

#23

35 Facts That Don’t Need A Lot Of Knowledge To Grasp, But Folks Online Only Recently Realized I always found it funny how Abba songs fit the movie Mamma mia so well ... it took me years to figure out the movie was made around the songs.

janny124 , Anders Hanser Report

#24

35 Facts That Don’t Need A Lot Of Knowledge To Grasp, But Folks Online Only Recently Realized Your bones are always wet. They've also probably never seen the light of day.
Edit: I forgot about teeth, stop roasting me
Edit 2: teeth aren't bones. Calm down y'all

LifetimeOfLemons , Tara Winstead Report

Add photo comments
POST
Demosthenes
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Weirder still is that your bones never touch each other. You will know this if they for any horrible reason end up touching each other.

View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#25

35 Facts That Don’t Need A Lot Of Knowledge To Grasp, But Folks Online Only Recently Realized Eminem are his initials M & M.

GotMyOrangeCrush , eminem Report

#26

35 Facts That Don’t Need A Lot Of Knowledge To Grasp, But Folks Online Only Recently Realized As a non native English speaker.
I just recently found out why ground beef is called ground beef.
I was always like "yeah maybe it's the foundation of beef, so it's the ground", like the basis.
But only recently I realized it's the past tense of "to grind" something. Now that makes sense!

shentoza , Angele J Report

#27

When people said, "it's a double-edged sword," I thought the sword's hilt was also a sword. Only until yesterday, it was explained to me by my brother that it was just sharp on both sides of the blade.

Bubcheeseburger Report

#28

That it would be easier to lift the cutlery basket out of the dishwasher to unload the cutlery while next to the cutlery drawer. Prior to seeing it on a reddit thread, I'd been leaving the basket in the dishwasher and grabbing as many of the cutlery out that I could manage in one go...

StormriderX8 Report

ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#29

Im 27 and always liked geography and got good grades for it in school. This holidays i learned that the seasons are reverted in northern and southern hemisphere. I was blown away I didnt know this earlier.

*yes I ment *inverted* not reverted, must've missed that too in english classes

mmmmonkeyy Report

#30

If you wait for the waiter, you are the waiter.

_-deleeted-_ Report

#31

In the song Africa by Toto for the longest time I thought it was I guess it rains down in Africa not I bless the rains down in africa.

StarKillerActual Report

Add photo comments
POST
TheGoodBoi
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

WHY DID YOU BRING THIS UP?? 🎶 It's gonna take a lot to drag me away from you! There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do! 🎶

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#32

35 Facts That Don’t Need A Lot Of Knowledge To Grasp, But Folks Online Only Recently Realized That in order to properly use a hand dryer, you have to rub your hands.

I used to just put my hands under it and question why it was taking so long, but then I saw one of my friends rubbing their hands, and I felt stupid.

MyFakeNameIsGUS , FanFan61618 Report

Add photo comments
POST
Will Cable
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I hate the dyson ones with the 'slot' you put your hands in and it is meant to dry them

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#33

That the little arrow next to the fuel icon on your dashboard, shows which side the fuel tank is on your car.

mase_windu96 Report

Add photo comments
POST
zak
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The fuel tank is always on the underside of the car. The fuel filler door, however... 😋

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#34

35 Facts That Don’t Need A Lot Of Knowledge To Grasp, But Folks Online Only Recently Realized Mount Wannahockaloogie- I am Aussie so hearing it without subtitles as a kid, I just assumed it was another american attempt at an Aussie sounding name. Seeing it written down made me feel like the dumbest thing alive.

G0atDrag0n , Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Report

Add photo comments
POST
Kathryn Baylis
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

“If you're crackin’ up from having lack of shackin’ up. If you're crackin’ up from having lack of shackin’ up. If you're crackin’ up, why don't you pack it up? You got to find yourself a crazy kind of love. Two-Three-Four. Aaaahh-Way. Lackanookie’s got-me! Aaaaahh-Way. Omaniwannalaya! Aaaaahh-Way. Find yourself a crazy kind of love!” (Thank you, Bette Midler!)

View more commentsArrow down menu
#35

The word hyperbole is spelled hyperbole. I know the word but never connected the spelling to the pronunciation, and thus in written form thought it was an entirely different word. The funniest (saddest) thing here is I'm dead serious and this comment is not a hyperbole... Smh.

666Skagosi Report

Add photo comments
POST
zak
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've known the word and the spelling for a very long time, but I still say "hyper bowl" in my head every time I read it 😅

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
Continue reading with Bored Panda Premium
Unlimited content
Ad-free browsing
Dark mode
#36

35 Facts That Don’t Need A Lot Of Knowledge To Grasp, But Folks Online Only Recently Realized Might just be a US thing but whatever

The measuring stick/pole on the inside of gas stations is for identifying the height of potential robbers

GoldenBruhtado , Pixabay Report

Add photo comments
POST
El Cucuy
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not true. That stick is for measuring the amount of gasoline in the underground tanks. I know this because my parents used to own a gas station.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#37

35 Facts That Don’t Need A Lot Of Knowledge To Grasp, But Folks Online Only Recently Realized The Pokémon name Sudo-Woodo is pseudo wood because he's a fake tree.

teh_calfman , The Pokémon Company International Report

#38

The phrase 'bottoms up' (used like 'cheers' when you're making a toast and having a drink) is used because you're putting the bottom of your glass up in the air...
Never put that together in my head until this weekend...

bipolaroid Report

Add photo comments
POST
zak
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Someone out there probably thinks it means you're supposed to twerk

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#39

35 Facts That Don’t Need A Lot Of Knowledge To Grasp, But Folks Online Only Recently Realized I realized that aquarium walls are reflective on the inside once they’re filled with water.

I’ve kept a goldfish for the past decade, so I should have noticed, but goldfish also aren’t really territorial, so he never minded. I keep a betta fish now, and he’s *very* mad at his reflection. I only realized two weeks ago that he’d even have one....

Kangaroodle , Eric Lewis Report

#40

That the Rick and Morty Episode 'pickle Rick' was an entire story about him getting himself out of a pickle.

Camekazi Report

Add photo comments
POST
Holy Shimmering Sheeps541t
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Whereas many doctors deal with men who have the opposite problem. Extracting pickles is likely a fine art.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#41

35 Facts That Don’t Need A Lot Of Knowledge To Grasp, But Folks Online Only Recently Realized That Mike Myers played both Dr Evil and Austin Powers.. I watched those movies since I was 4

Gvvm , Caroline Bonarde Ucci Report

#42

That New Years Day is exactly one week after Christmas Day. So last Christmas was on a Wednesday and NYD was Wednesday the following week. I was in my last 30s before I noticed this

Eloisem333 Report

Add photo comments
POST
Trevor
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

ah but Christmas and NYD never fall on the same day of the week in the Same Calender Year. Fun Trick I play at Christmas time. why? because New years Day is actually the next Calender year. NYD 2023 is on a Sunday and Christmas is on Monday

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#43

Watch For Ice On Bridge signs are because ice forms on bridges before it does on roads

Psianth Report

#44

35 Facts That Don’t Need A Lot Of Knowledge To Grasp, But Folks Online Only Recently Realized Sweatbands are to collect the sweat and not make you sweat more.

Bailes22 , cottonbro studio Report

#45

Took me a long time to realize pay-per-view was actually words that described it (I'd never seen it written)

palmettofoxes Report

ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda