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

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.

Image credits: Steveman2003

#2

That raincoats typically have bright colours so you're easier to spot during heavy rain, not because raincoat designers have bad taste

Image credits: AvoidAtAIICosts

#3

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!

Image credits: RatFuck_Debutante

#4

The division symbol ÷ is just a fraction. The two dots represent numbers.

Image credits: der3009

#5

VERY LATE BUT it's called the alphabet because the Greek "Alphabet" starts with the letter alpha, beta....

Image credits: RocketSpider-Man

#6

The houses in Bikini Bottom are car mufflers

Image credits: rpmmaniac

#7

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.

Image credits: stcain02

#8

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.

Image credits: anon

#9

A chef is called a chef in a restaurant because restaurants originated in France and ‘chef’ just means boss in French.

Image credits: anon

#10

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

#11

That the Guinness beer company is responsible for the Guinness book of world records

Image credits: brendan008

#12

Ecuador is spanish for equator and the country is named so because yep....

Image credits: dontfeedtheibis

#13

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.”

Image credits: Phase3isProfit

#14

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.

Image credits: weakenedstrain

#15

"Eeyore" is the noise donkeys make.

Image credits: Danrobjim

#16

'The Los Angeles Angels' is actually 'The the angels angels'.

Image credits: DiscoPino

#17

Breakfast is named so because you're breaking the fast from when you were sleeping.

Image credits: earthtojeremiah

#18

Tinder app is so called because it helps spark a connection with a Match.

Image credits: catsrmurderers

#19

Cigarettes are called cigarettes, as they are small cigars. Cigar-ette

Image credits: anon

#20

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.

Image credits: illegalwaffles

#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.

#22

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."

Image credits: maven-blood

#23

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.

Image credits: janny124

#24

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.

#25

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

#26

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

Image credits: LifetimeOfLemons

#27

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

#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...

#29

Eminem are his initials M & M.

Image credits: GotMyOrangeCrush

#30

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.

#31

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

#32

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!

Image credits: shentoza

#33

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.

Image credits: MyFakeNameIsGUS

#34

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.

Image credits: G0atDrag0n

#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.