(no subject)

[cblj_backup]

This morning I did a research report on a famous man in the world of horse racing, and the SCANDAL that is his love life, which includes an ex-wife who owns a racing stable called the [Name Retracted] Stud Farm.

I just sent the report to my boss, who works across the corridor from me. A few minutes later I heard her voice drift hesitantly out of her office.

Boss: So....a stud farm...that's a...horse racing stable?
Me: Yeah, it's a breeding farm. Male horses of breeding age are put out to stud.
Boss: They're studs.
Me: I think it's where the term came from.
Boss: Oh...kay...
Me: You sound nervous.
Boss: No, I'm just...going to assume the high-level VP who's going to be looking at this report will know that...

Comments

[fiveforsilver]

Yes! Word games are an interesting way to demonstrate this; it took me a while to realize that some of the words I play frequently are words that many other people aren't familiar with.

[keestone.livejournal.com]

I only ever really play word games with other readers, but I've had that kind of situation in other situations like conversations where I assumed something is common knowledge and everyone else thinks it's esoteric (dude, I thought everybody knew what AM and PM stood for. They should!). I have had the "How do you know that?"/ "I dunno, I read stuff?" conversation more than once, I think.

[(Anonymous)]

wait... not everyone knows ante meridian and post meridian? *mind blown, not the least bit sarcastically*

[keestone.livejournal.com]

Yeah, apparently not. Glad I'm not the only one who was shocked to find that it's not common knowledge. I can't remember how young I was when I learned that tidbit.