"Teaching Your Grandmother"

[Copperfox]

When I was a college junior, I had the privilege of being among a handful of students on my campus allowed to meet in person the famous author Elton Trueblood. It happened that I had discovered John Milton's Paradise Lost not long before this; I was fascinated with it, but had no idea how widely-known that epic poem was to other people. So, when something in the discussion prompted it, I made an idiot of myself by speaking to Mr. Trueblood about Paradise Lost as if HE probably had never heard of it!

I wonder if other TDL members can report having been at either end of such a transaction: being the youngster who has no clue how much more an older person knows, or being the older person annoyed or amused at being underestimated by the youngster?

[MRW]

On another fantasy book forum I used to visit occasionally, I stepped into a thread that was theorizing about the future of the book series and used textual evidence to prove the prevailing theory incorrect. I essentially got told to shut up and stop being a noob, because my post count was lower than the poster I'd proven wrong, and because they didn't want to give up their pet theory. Interestingly, I'd been a member of the forum for almost a year longer than this poster -- I just tended to lurk -- and I suspect I'd read the book more times as well.

[Copperfox]

Ah, so in your case you were FALSELY accused of being the presumptious puppy that I, in my stated college example, actually WAS.

[EveningStar]

After years of semi-pro photography I finally found out that Nikon was NEE-kon, not NY-kon. :p

[MRW]

@CF: Yes. Though I'm sure there have been times where I've actually been a presumptuous know-it-all. I'll post an example if I can think of one.

@ES: It's Nee-kon? Seriously? Though it does make sense, since it's a Japanese name. That reminds me of the time I found out "macabre" isn't actually pronounced "mah-CAB-ree."

[Kells]

I am getting my degree in theatre and almost all of my focus has been on scenic construction over the last several years. So when we build or strike a show and younger male students come in and try to impress me by showing me how to use a table saw or impact driver I cannot help but giggle.

Especially when they get it wrong.

My very favorite was a fella straight out of high school who was explaining how an "art" welder worked and telling me not to be afraid of the sparks.

[ndfan1993]

I've often showed off my french skills(not intentionally, but so that I can learn better, but I often get a 'big head' for knowing more than others who know nothing about french) randomly. Especially at church when I bring my friend, though I don't know why.

So, recently, I was counting insanely high in french and this teacher at the church who we speak to alot came over and I was talking to him in french and he corrected my pronounciation. I felt very stupid LOL. My friend looked at me and giggled.
I've only had French 1 by the way, so far anyways. lol

[Copperfox]

Of course, there ARE occasions when the younger person DOES know more than the elder.

There is a phrase which, though not in use much these days, is still perfectly legitimate English grammar: the phrase "not a few," meaning that there is a fairly good quantity of something. For example, if in an election 11 percent of the voters voted for a third-party candidate, it could be said that "not a few" voters chose that candidate--fewer than a majority or even a plurality, but enough to be worth noticing.

When I was in high school, in a descriptive writing assignment, I wrote that some place had "not a few trees." The STUPID teacher marked that WRONG, as being like a double negative!

[Ephinie]

When I first saw the title of this thread, the first thing that popped into my head was standing behind my grandmother while she is trying to figure out something new on the computer... and needing my guidance step by step with each click. Grandmothers often have trouble with computers.

[Benisse]

When I was a second grader, my teacher Mrs. Thompson announced a contest to see who could think of the most words rhyming with "lot." So we all got out a sheet of paper and pencil, and at the signal began writing furiously: got, cot, dot, and so on. I don't remember who won the contest, but I do remember objecting when she would not count the yot I wrote down on my paper. "A yot is a big big boat!" I protested...

But on a totally different note, now that my mom is living with us because of her failing memory and dementia issues, my children have the bittersweet task of teaching their grandmother every day. For example, when I was a child, my parents played a game of chess every night before bed, so mom still loves chess. When mom won, my father would say, "oh you got lucky!" and if she lost he'd exclaim, "Ben dan!" [loosely translated "Loser!"] But now as my children play her not infrequently I overhear them correcting her, e.g., "No, you can't move the pawn sideways unless you are capturing a piece..." It is very sweet but sad too to see them play together.

[dawnpatrol]

When I was 9 or 10 my dad was in the Navy and was attending submarine school at Groton, CT. He brought home some question the class had a problem with that my dad couldn't figure out either. It was some navigation question involving a certain constellation but I don't remember the specifics. Anyways, after going over it I discovered that it was a trick question as you couldn't see that constellation from that latitude. So in this instance I did know it all as I continue to do today. :)

[Benisse]

When I was 9 or 10 my dad was in the Navy and was attending submarine school at Groton, CT. He brought home some question the class had a problem with that my dad couldn't figure out either. It was some navigation question involving a certain constellation but I don't remember the specifics. Anyways, after going over it I discovered that it was a trick question as you couldn't see that constellation from that latitude. So in this instance I did know it all as I continue to do today. :)

I bet your father sure was impressed with you!

[dawnpatrol]

I bet your father sure was impressed with you!

Yeah but that was short lived.

Fast forward 8 years. "Hey, when are you gonna get a job??"