this post was submitted on 29 Jan 2024

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Showerthoughts

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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The most popular seem to be lighthearted clever little truths, hidden in daily life.

Here are some examples to inspire your own showerthoughts:

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There's probably a word I've been pronouncing wrong my whole life that I don't know about (discuss.tchncs.de)

submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by pruwybn@discuss.tchncs.de to c/showerthoughts@lemmy.world

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Just based on how often I notice someone mispronounce a word without realizing it (or have done so myself and realized it later). Statistically I'm probably still doing it with some word.

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[–] Mesa@programming.dev 2 points 1 year ago

At some point in my life I started enunciating every syllable of the word "comfortable," where as most Americans opt for "kuhmf-tr-bl." I don't remember when or why I started doing otherwise, but I can't go back now.

[–] linearchaos@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Contiguous. Didn't find out about that one till I got to college... That was embarrassing as f***.

[–] tinwhiskers@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I said automaton wrong for years. I said auto-maton instead of au-tomoton. I still cringe a bit thinking about it :-/

[–] JustARegularNerd@aussie.zone 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I only just woke up so forgive me if you're right, did you mean automation?

[–] tinwhiskers@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

No.

automaton — Noun: 1. A machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions., 2. A person who acts like a machine or robot, often defined as having a monotonous lifestyle and lacking in emotion., 3. A formal system, such as a finite-state machine or cellular automaton., 4. A toy in the form of a mechanical figure. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/automaton

[–] JustARegularNerd@aussie.zone 1 points 1 year ago

Huh, you learn something every day. Thanks for that

[–] newbeni@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

I got Linux wrong for a while

[–] Malfeasant@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

My wife says "wheelbarrel" and I giggle every time.

[+] Godric@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

[removed by mod]

[–] linearchaos@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

I started at a company that had a lot of people from India. I have no problem with anybody from anywhere but It takes me a little while to become familiar with accents. That little fuzzy search option in my brain that listens to one thing and realizes what they're trying to say is woefully undersized.

It's my third or fourth day on the job I'm nice and early and my boss's boss strolls in. I'm the only one there.

Suresh: I need you to check on the Catalina office. Me internal: I roughly heard of Catalina but I don't know anything about it I don't even know where it is, maybe it's a city in Spain or something. They do have some international offices maybe I'm missing something. Me: Catalina? Suresh: Catalina, I need to know the status of Catalina. Me Internal: s***, that didn't help. Furiously googles, no, that's not any help either. Can I ask the CTO to spell something, would that be a career-ending move on day three? Should I ask him what country it's in, should I say I don't have the information for that office obviously I'm a working human being I could look them up and call them if I knew. Suresh reading my confusion: Catalina, Catalina, about 6 hours from here.. Norte Catalina. Me: ohh so sorry, no problem, I will find the contact information for our North Carolina office check on them and let you know.

[–] pinkdrunkenelephants@lemmy.cafe 3 points 1 year ago

You can just look up words in the dictionary and look up the phonetic pronunciation key to refresh your memory. It pays to do this every once in a while.

[–] bluewing@lemm.ee 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

So swaive vs suave or deboner vs debonair? Maybe 'fisticated vs sophisticated? You could be a swaive, deboner, 'fisticated urbane 'burban urbanite.

Personally, I blame the French for the short comings of the English language, just because I randomly can.

[–] Kethal@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

"shortcomings"

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