Stupid Questions

Muise...

At school, nice mammy-type teachers used to say "there's no such thing as a stupid question" - presumably to stop us all slagging each other and to encourage curiosity. But it's the kind of thing I'd expect to see thrown over a picture of Einstein and shared online by people having a bad brain day.

I get that unexpected or eccentric questions are exactly what's needed for good hypotheses and findings, as well as design and works of art. But there are stupid questions, aren't there? Is that a stupid question in itself?

Today I opened a response to a group email, which had the time and venue of a forthcoming meeting in the subject line, and details of the agenda in the body. It was a query about the time and venue of our next meeting.

What's the stupidest question you have ever heard or read?

scudzilla

Stupidest question? What was that infraction for?

boogle

"Is that why it's called pi? Because it's shaped like a pie?"

Tzardine

Are you interested in two Coldplay tickets ?

Wabbit Ears

Stupid kids grow up to become stupid adults.

Id love to quote a few but an awful lot of my examples are on tech forums on boards and some of those just make baby jebus cry.

Zed Bank

Tzardine wrote: »

Are you interested in two Coldplay tickets ?

Are you musically inept?

Liamalone

I was once asked how many pork chops I ate for dinner, stupid stupid.

jiminho

Where is the RDS Working Abroad Expo on this year?

Banjo String

I got my mam a George Foreman grilling machine back in the day when they had just came out and were very popular.

"Oooh, very nice" she said. "oh that fella George Foreman, he's your man that plays the Banjo, isn't he?" she said.

Bless her. :pac:

Donkey Oaty

Muise... wrote: »

What's the stupidest question you have ever heard or read?

Question on US Immigration form: "Do you have any intention of aiding or abetting the overthrow of the US Government?"

Noel Coward is said to have answered "Sole purpose of visit".

Muise...

boogle wrote: »

"Is that why it's called pi? Because it's shaped like a pie?"

my mind is boogling at a π-shaped pie.

Legs.Eleven

One of my posh young teenage students who spent a month or so in Ireland learning English asked me today, "Why do all Irish teenagers dress like macarras (the Spanish word for chavs)?".


She's full of stupid questions every week. I can't take anymore of them!

Artful_Badger

What time is it ?
Five.
O'Clock ?

Boom_Bap

Does growing that beard take much effort?

Quite the opposite.

poundapunnet

'Are ye closing?'

No I'm just putting the shutters up over the windows for the hell of it.

Karl Stein

Can blind people see through a glass eye?

beano345

Walking from the lounge were a football match was on TV back into the bar,some fella shouts at me
"what's the score in their beano?"

"Nil nil"

"To who?"

The King of Moo

"What date is New Year's Day on this year?"

Muise...

beano345 wrote: »

Walking from the lounge were a football match was on TV back into the bar,some fella shouts at me
"what's the score in their beano?"

"Nil nil"

"To who?"

Well I hope you told him what a stupid question that was!

It's "to whom?" ffs.

stefan idiot jones

An American woman in Edinburgh Castle overlooking the Forth River at Fife, is that France?

wp_rathead

Ohhhhhh easily can think of my one i heard- was in sociology tutorial in college and was discussing "counter-cultures" and a hand goes up and one asks "would an example be like Micheal Flatley and Riverdance..?"

That or the time friend asked wood work teacher "How do trees get pregnant?"

Sir Osis of Liver.

Friend walked in to a hairdressers and asked

'Do ye cut hair?'

Another time the same fella asked

'New Zealand,thats in Australia innit?'

FFS.

RhubarbCrumble

My mother's friend is in Cuba on holidays at the moment. After telling me this, my mother then asked me "Is Cuba part of Russia or is it a country of its own?

wretcheddomain

Does God exist?

Muise...

wretcheddomain wrote: »

Does God exist?

That's actually a good question. It's mostly the answers that are stupid.

Artful_Badger

Muise... wrote: »

That's actually a good question. It's mostly the answers that are stupid.

Well when you rephrase it to "Are the people who started a belief in god based on a load of nonsense right". Then you can see the stupid side of the question itself.

The Backwards Man

Why?

Artful_Badger

The Backwards Man wrote: »

Why?

Depends on whats meant by "God" I guess. Biblical god, Greek gods, the gods of all religions are just fairy tales. We all know this. So its stupid to wonder if they actually do exist. Its like wondering if Santa is real after finding out it was all made up.

Daveysil15

Give me an empty box.
An empty box of what?

Muise...

Artful_Badger wrote: »

Well when you rephrase it to "Are the people who started a belief in god based on a load of nonsense right". Then you can see the stupid side of the question itself.

If you go and rephrase it that much, is it still the same question, Theseus?

Also, trying to understand the mind-blowing fantasticness of the universe and all that's in it is not a load of nonsense, even if you get it wrong.

Artful_Badger

Muise... wrote: »

If you go and rephrase it that much, is it still the same question, Theseus?

Also, trying to understand the mind-blowing fantasticness of the universe and all that's in it is not a load of nonsense, even if you get it wrong.

Of course its the same question. Everything we know about god comes from what we humans invented about god. I dont think any rationally minded person would think its based on fact.

Also trying to understand the universe isnt a load of nonsense no. Its beliefs that developed based on myths and superstitions thats the nonsense. And its from those that belief in god comes. Angry giants in the sky, man in a chariot brings the sun every day type stuff.

But anyway I dont want to drag this thread into another religious debate so I'll leave my jibberings at that.

Aaah35

Left my mobile at my mothers house, called it from the landline when I got home and when she answered it I asked "did I leave my phone at yours"? Not my proudest moment.

Muise...

Artful_Badger wrote: »

Of course its the same question. Everything we know about god comes from what we humans invented about god. I dont think any rationally minded person would think its based on fact.

Also trying to understand the universe isnt a load of nonsense no. Its beliefs that developed based on myths and superstitions thats the nonsense. And its from those that belief in god comes. Angry giants in the sky, man in a chariot brings the sun every day type stuff.

But anyway I dont want to drag this thread into another religious debate so I'll leave my jibberings at that.

Oooh you're a bitter badger.

I think you twisted the question just to air your grievance and flounce off. And I think that is stupid.

Ankhyu

American tourists in Bunratty: "Why did they build the castle so close to the highway?"

The Backwards Man

Artful_Badger wrote: »

Depends on whats meant by "God" I guess. Biblical god, Greek gods, the gods of all religions are just fairy tales. We all know this. So its stupid to wonder if they actually do exist. Its like wondering if Santa is real after finding out it was all made up.

Wasn't quoting you AB, I was just stating 'Why?' as a stupid question in general.:pac:

hairyprincess

When I loved in Dublin back in the day, on telling people I was going to Donegal for the weekend I was asked on a few occasions, "do you use the Euro up there?"

Artful_Badger

Muise... wrote: »

Oooh you're a bitter badger.

I think you twisted the question just to air your grievance and flounce off. And I think that is stupid.

I'm not bitter at all. And I have no grievance, have twisted no question and I'm not flouncing anywhere. In fact I dont flounce as a general rule.

I just think the question "Is there a god" can be argued to be a stupid question depending on what is meant by "God", religious all seeing god vs a being who may have had a hand in the creation of the universe etc. But dont want to turn the thread into a religious debate. Nobody wants that.

Daveysil15

Ahh jasus lads. We don't want the thread getting moved to the religion section.

Muise...

Artful_Badger wrote: »

I'm not bitter at all. And I have no grievance, have twisted no question and I'm not flouncing anywhere. In fact I dont flounce as a general rule.

I just think the question "Is there a god" can be argued to be a stupid question depending on what is meant by "God", religious all seeing god vs a being who may have had a hand in the creation of the universe etc. But dont want to turn the thread into a religious debate. Nobody wants that.

then why did you come in here?

Artful_Badger

Muise... wrote: »

then why did you come in here?

I have a nasty habit of reading threads I guess. :P

Lets forget this all happened.

Kidchameleon

Muise... wrote: »

Today I opened a response to a group email, which had the time and venue of a forthcoming meeting in the subject line, and details of the agenda in the body. It was a query about the time and venue of our next meeting.

Actually, depending on the device the email was viewed on, the subject line may not have been visible. If you have a fair bit of info in the subject, only the first few words may have been displayed. Its a bit stupid to put important info like that into a subject line.

Muise...

Kidchameleon wrote: »

Actually, depending on the device the email was viewed on, the subject line may not have been visible. If you have a fair bit of info in the subject, only the first few words may have been displayed. Its a bit stupid to put important info like that into a subject line.

"RE: Meeting at xxxxxxx date, time." ?

(This may be a stupid question.)

At any rate, questioner was present when the meeting was agreed and we were all scribbling/tapping notes. The email was to set up stuff for then.