What is common knowledge?

[NuclearFairy]

What are some words and terms that you've always thought were common knowledge but later found out was not?

Or what is something that you're wondering, "Is this common knowledge?"

And how do you feel about encountering a word or term that you don't know and the author doesn't explain it?

Like zenith. I know that that's when an object in the sky is directly overhead, but honestly I don't see the word used in writing very often, so how many people do know that?

 

[AG31]

What are some words and terms that you've always thought were common knowledge but later found out was not?

Or what is something that you're wondering, "Is this common knowledge?"

And how do you feel about encountering a word or term that you don't know and the author doesn't explain it?

Like zenith. I know that that's when an object in the sky is directly overhead, but honestly I don't see the word used in writing very often, so how many people do know that?

"oligarchy." The new senator from Michigan?/Minnesota?? said her father didn't know what it meant while listening to a Bernie Sanders speech.

 

[NuclearFairy]

"oligarchy." The new senator from Michigan?/Minnesota?? said her father didn't know what it meant while listening to a Bernie Sanders speech.

I read that word for the first time in a Russian spy novel a couple of years ago. Took me a few chapters to figure out what they were talking about.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

Like common sense, common knowledge is not as common as it should be.

 

[SinclairGroupLLP]

A 'hand' is a unit of measure, equal to 4 inches.

Apparently this is NOT common knowledge.

 

[Nynah]

Like zenith. I know that that's when an object in the sky is directly overhead, but honestly I don't see the word used in writing very often, so how many people do know that?

I think it depends on the type of writing you typically consume. Personally, I read a lot of speculative fiction like sci-fi and fantasy, as well as a fair bit of science-based non-fiction so the word "zenith" is well-known to me. The authors writing in these fields will sometimes explain a particularly exotic term, but for the most part rely on their audience being informed about the vocabulary they present (or being willing to look terms up). The non-fiction books are always well-cited and have appendixes that have terms and definitions.

Another wrinkle to consider is regionality. Someone writing from an exclusively Australian perspective will use terms and idioms that an American might not necessarily pick up on the first read, for example.

To that end, I try not to assume anything is universally common knowledge because there are always authors out there with much different experiences than my own.

 

[NuclearFairy]

Another wrinkle to consider is regionality. Someone writing from an exclusively Australian perspective will use terms and idioms that an American might not necessarily pick up on the first read, for example.

I grew up in the northwest of the us and spent my teen years mostly reading Dianna Wynn Jones, Terry Pratchet, and historical coming of age stories. And so I often struggle with, "Is that a modern American turn of phrase or did I pick that up from reading?"

 

[Nynah]

I grew up in the northwest of the us and spent my teen years mostly reading Dianna Wynn Jones, Terry Pratchet, and historical coming of age stories. And so I often struggle with, "Is that a modern American turn of phrase or did I pick that up from reading?"

Considering Pratchett and Jones were both English, that must have made for an interesting time for you to develop your vocabulary! I'm fairly sure neither of them would have had "mountain's out!" in any of their works.

Please also forgive the fact that I am an ignorant Northeasterner and only know that one particular idiom from the PNW.

 

[NuclearFairy]

Considering Pratchett and Jones were both English, that must have made for an interesting time for you to develop your vocabulary! I'm fairly sure neither of them would have had "mountain's out!" in any of their works.

Please also forgive the fact that I am an ignorant Northeasterner and only know that one particular idiom from the PNW.

To be fair, I often gave people who used that phrase a wtf are you on about look but never actually asked until I was an adult so I grew up ignorant as to its meaning as well.

The phrases I'm sure that they didn't use that I grew up the most familiar with were, summer child, humble pie, eating crow, and lickety-split. Aside from summer child I'm not sure which of those I picked up from reading historical fiction and which ones I didn't. And my mom was always calling me her sweet summer child, although from what I've heard that's supposedly more of a southern idiom.

 

[Bazzle]

A 'hand' is a unit of measure, equal to 4 inches.

Apparently this is NOT common knowledge.

Hand, Foot, and Cubit all using the body for measurement

 

[AG31]

Hand, Foot, and Cubit all using the body for measurement

What body part is cubit?

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

What body part is cubit?

approximately equal to the length of a forearm, from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger

 

[NuclearFairy]

Hand, Foot, and Cubit all using the body for measurement

Huh, I didn't know that cubit was also based on the body. Interesting.

 

[Nynah]

The phrases I'm sure that they didn't use that I grew up the most familiar with were, summer child, humble pie, eating crow, and lickety-split. Aside from summer child I'm not sure which of those I picked up from reading historical fiction and which ones I didn't. And my mom was always calling me her sweet summer child, although from what I've heard that's supposedly more of a southern idiom.

According to some light searching, "Summer child" has apparently been around since the 1800s but has entered popularity in modern usage thanks to GRRM's A Song of Ice and Fire series. Huh, I never would have guessed.

"Humble pie" and "eating crow" apparently date back a few hundred years, both originating in England so it's quite likely they were used in whatever historical fiction you read.

I have heard of all of these but I wouldn't assume any of them to be "common knowledge"; they're definitely idioms that are just part of the jargon of modern English.

 

[HordHolm]

approximately equal to the length of a forearm, from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger

Measured anew with each succeeding pharaoh. Must have made for some interesting calculations if one died and was succeeded half way through a project.

 

[Bazzle]

What body part is cubit?

Elbow to finger tips.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

Measured anew with each succeeding pharaoh. Must have made for some interesting calculations if one died and was succeeded half way through a project.

Kinda makes you think they used the metric system to build the pyramids or something.

 

[AG31]

Elbow to finger tips.

Well, that is, indeed, a Who knew? as far as I'm concerned. Thanks.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Measured anew with each succeeding pharaoh. Must have made for some interesting calculations if one died and was succeeded half way through a project.

That's why some pyramids are bigger than others...

 

[iwatchus]

That's why some pyramids are bigger than others...

Aree you telling me size DOES matter?

 

[ronde]

Kittywampus and cattycornered are pretty common here in the South. Both mean skewed or deviating from normal.

Another is "carrying" , as in carrying your wife to the store. In most of the North, it would be "taking" or maybe "driving".

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Kittywampus and cattycornered are pretty common here in the South. Both mean skewed or deviating from normal.

Another is "carrying" , as in carrying your wife to the store. In most of the North, it would be "taking" or maybe "driving".

On the other hand, if your wife was ‘carrying’, you two would be trio!

My word for the list is ‘fortnight’. I used it with some friends and was staggered to find two of them (articulate and well-enough educated, too) told me later they’d had to look it up

 

[AG31]

Kittywampus and cattycornered are pretty common here in the South. Both mean skewed or deviating from normal.

Another is "carrying" , as in carrying your wife to the store. In most of the North, it would be "taking" or maybe "driving".

Cattycornered and carrying are familiar from my childhood (carrying via my southern relatives). Also kittycornered. But don't think I've ever heard kittywampus.

 

[NuclearFairy]

Cattycornered and carrying are familiar from my childhood (carrying via my southern relatives). Also kittycornered. But don't think I've ever heard kittywampus.

I've never heard kittycornered, does it also mean skewed from the norm?

 

[iwatchus]

I've never heard kittycornered, does it also mean skewed from the norm?

Everywhere I have lived, yes.