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What really obvious thing have you only just realised?

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Comments

  • #1592
    Ihatecuddles
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,986 ✭✭✭Ihatecuddles


    Hownowcow wrote: »
    It's not obvious but I've just realised that I don't know what a portmanteau is.

    Putting 2 or more words and their definitions together to make one word.

    Smog (smoke and fog) Motel (motor and hotel)


  • #1593
    vitani
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,824 ✭✭✭vitani


    mauzo! wrote: »
    Motel (motor and hotel)

    Oh! THAT'S where Motel comes from!

    *penny drops*


  • #1594
    whupdedo
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,513 ✭✭✭whupdedo


    I just found out the aberakedabera fast food shops are actually called aberaKEBABera ha ha genius


  • #1595
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 26,219 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    A weekend bag, with two inner sections of equal size.
    mauzo! wrote: »
    Putting 2 or more words and their definitions together to make one word.

    Smog (smoke and fog) Motel (motor and hotel)

    It's both:
    portmanteau
    Pronunciation: /pɔːtˈmantəʊ/
    noun (plural portmanteaus or portmanteaux /-əʊz/)
    a large travelling bag, typically made of stiff leather and opening into two equal parts.
    [as modifier] consisting of or combining two or more aspects or qualities:
    a portmanteau movie composed of excerpts from his most famous films
    portmanteau word
    noun
    a word blending the sounds and combining the meanings of two others, for example motel or brunch.

    Lovely sounding word. I must use it more :)


  • #1596
    Ihatecuddles
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,986 ✭✭✭Ihatecuddles


    Candie wrote: »
    It's both:

    It came about because someone said the word banoffi is a portmanteau, someone asked what it means. I don't think it's a piece of luggage in this instance!


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  • #1597
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 26,219 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    mauzo! wrote: »
    It came about because someone said the word banoffi is a portmanteau, someone asked what it means. I don't think it's a piece of luggage in this instance!

    Yes, I know.

    And the genesis of it's use as a word to describe two words used in part as one, is in it's original meaning, the name of a single bag with two compartments.

    I thought it was interesting, but it's not exactly important.


  • #1598
    stefan idiot jones
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,518 ✭✭✭stefan idiot jones


    Kangorillapig ?


  • #1599
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 26,219 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    stefan idiot jones wrote: »
    Kangorillapig ?


    Liger (offspring of a lion and a tiger).


    http://envirocivil.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/aries-liger-cub-hercules-picture.jpg?e9436b


  • #1600
    artanevilla
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Sports Moderators, Paid Member Posts: 11,619 Mod ✭✭✭✭artanevilla


    foxyboxer wrote: »
    That Banoffee is a portmanteau of Banana and Toffee. :o

    That's really weird, I only noticed that today too. Are you me?


  • #1601
    enda1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,165 ✭✭✭enda1


    stefan idiot jones wrote: »
    Kangorillapig ?

    Nah that's a portmanthree

    :P


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  • #1602
    Hownowcow
    Closed Accounts Posts: 341 ✭✭Hownowcow


    Candie wrote: »
    A weekend bag, with two inner sections of equal size.

    Thank you.
    mauzo! wrote: »
    Putting 2 or more words and their definitions together to make one word.

    Smog (smoke and fog) Motel (motor and hotel)

    Thank you.


    All I could think of was: portman - portmanII, superman - supermanteau.


    stefan idiot jones wrote: »
    Kangorillapig ?

    That is just wonderful.


  • #1603
    Quazzie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 29,869 ✭✭✭✭Quazzie


    coinflip13 wrote: »
    Just realised that Rhode Island state isn't an island - always thought it was a little island off the mainland USA.

    Rhode island is an island, or used to be. It's now called Aquidneck Island. The state's official name is THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS. Rhode island, or Aquidneck Island as it's now called, is just a part of this.


  • #1604
    small town girl
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 682 ✭✭✭small town girl


    Last weekend I finally spotted that players are actually lifted during a rugby line out. I always thought it was amazing that guys so big could jump so high... (Thanks to Google for helping me define "line out" from words rugby+throw+lift)


  • #1605
    Ihatecuddles
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,986 ✭✭✭Ihatecuddles


    I told my boyfriend last week that I just realised the difference between hamburgers and beefburgers. Hamburgers come from pigs and beefburgers come from cows. I felt so stupid for only realising it at 22.

    He promptly told me I'm an idiot, and hamburgers don't come from pigs. They are in fact, the same thing.


  • #1606
    gar32
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,024 ✭✭✭gar32


    I live in Germany now.

    Berg means mountain.

    Ice berg mean Ice mountain.

    Drink related.

    Lager means storage or a store. (American word for shop)

    Stronger beer was made and stored because alcohol evaporator's when stored in wooden barrels. Lager was for export.

    I will have a pint of lager please :)


  • #1607
    kiffer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,097 ✭✭✭kiffer


    gar32 wrote: »
    I live in Germany now.

    Berg means mountain.

    Ice berg mean Ice mountain.

    Drink related.

    Larger means storage or a store. (American word for shop)

    Stronger beer was made and stored because alcohol evaporator's when stored in wooden barrels. Larger was for export.

    I will have a pint of larger please :)

    There is no 'r' in Lager...
    Larger is the opposite of smaller...
    That car is large, but the truck is larger...

    Took me a second to figure out what was going on there because I was pronouncing Lager with an 'r' in it and only when you posted this did I remember that it doesn't have one.
    I was sitting here going the German for Store is Laden or Lager not Larger...


  • #1608
    pickarooney
    Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 36,197 Mod ✭✭✭✭pickarooney


    I always thought it was called lager because it fermented at a lower temperature or pressure or something. I feel dumb.


  • #1609
    Funkfield
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,603 ✭✭✭Funkfield


    mauzo! wrote: »
    I told my boyfriend last week that I just realised the difference between hamburgers and beefburgers. Hamburgers come from pigs and beefburgers come from cows. I felt so stupid for only realising it at 22.

    He promptly told me I'm an idiot, and hamburgers don't come from pigs. They are in fact, the same thing.

    Hamburgers come from Hamburg. Like frankfurters or berliners.

    It was shortened over time to "burger". Then people added prefixes to distinguish different types e.g. Cheeseburger, Beefburger, etc


  • #1610
    rubadub
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 32,386 ✭✭✭✭rubadub


    pickarooney wrote: »
    I always thought it was called lager because it fermented at a lower temperature or pressure or something.
    You are correct, it is brewed at lower temperatures for a relatively long time compared to other beers.
    History of lager brewing

    While cold storage of beer, "lagering"....


  • #1611
    face1990
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,039 ✭✭✭face1990


    mauzo! wrote: »
    He promptly told me I'm an idiot, and hamburgers don't come from pigs. They are in fact, the same thing.

    I was eating a burger one time, and the meat was still pink in the middle. I showed my cousin and he said 'It's a ham burger, of course it's pink!' :o


    It's an easy mistake but what astounds me is that people can be eating a burger that looks and tastes like beef and still think they're eating ham.


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  • #1612
    OldNotWIse
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,468 ✭✭✭✭OldNotWIse


    Tomato doesn't have an e at the end. How did I get through three levels of education thinking that it does? :(


  • #1613
    Paulyh
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 567 ✭✭✭Paulyh


    I just realised today, when i was checking out a map of Ireland on the wall beside my desk.............in an tour operators office.

    That bloody Fermanagh is in Northern Ireland!!!! :o:o:o When the hell did that happen??


  • #1614
    thee glitz
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,294 ✭✭✭thee glitz


    kiffer wrote: »
    There is no 'r' in Lager...

    :confused:


  • #1615
    How so Joe
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,625 ✭✭✭How so Joe


    thee glitz wrote: »
    :confused:

    I think it's that there's only one r in lager, or else no r in the middle. There's quite obviously one r there!


  • #1616
    SillyMangoX
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,006 ✭✭✭SillyMangoX


    It just dawned on me that eyelids are called so because they are lids for your eyes... My mother now thinks I'm a complete idiot, and to be honest I agree with her.


  • #1617
    kwestfan08
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,523 ✭✭✭kwestfan08


    There's a recent song I've been listening to for a while and there's a line

    Girl why are you lying? / Girl why you Mufassa?

    And for weeks I've been racking my head thinking of when the King of the Jungle in the wonderful The Lion King was less than truthful. Surely Scar would be your go to guy for bad apples in that film?

    And then I realised that it was a play on words, lying = lion and I felt like a right clown.


  • #1618
    rawn
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,093 ✭✭✭rawn


    It took me at least 15 years to realize Michael Jackson and Michael Jackson are the same person


  • #1619
    rawn
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,093 ✭✭✭rawn


    Oh, and a great one from a friend of mine, who only recently realized that "panel-beater" is an actual job and not a euphemism for being gay


  • #1620
    Ihatecuddles
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,986 ✭✭✭Ihatecuddles


    rawn wrote: »
    It took me at least 15 years to realize Michael Jackson and Michael Jackson are the same person

    Ok you win this thread :P


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  • #1621
    suicide_circus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 19,801 ✭✭✭✭suicide_circus


    That the majority of foods/snacks which call themselves 'Hot & Spicy' are not hot (peppery), they're just overly seasoned.


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