We've all had that sudden 'a-ha' moment at least once when we learn something new that's been blatantly obvious to everyone around us for quite some time -- for example, that Missy Elliott's 'Work It' lyrics weren't actually gibberish, they were just "I put my thing down, flip it and reverse it" backwards.
Then there are times where we think we've just realised something new but it turns out to be wrong, as Austin Steinmetz recently discovered.
"It took me 19 years to figure out NEWS stands for 'notable events, weather, and sports'," he wrote in a tweet on Tuesday morning.
Except, it doesn't.
People reacted quickly to the tweet and were more than happy to correct him, including publishing company Merriam-Webster.
News is plural for "new" or "new things", It doesn't stand for anything.
— Empress (@justudyekong) June 7, 2017
Because it is.
— AH (@bin_audu) June 7, 2017
— Nick M Duffy (@NickMDuffy) June 8, 2017
— Andrew (@AndrewBellinger) June 8, 2017
Probably gonna take you another 19 years to know that's not true.
— Mohamed K. Ateeq (@ATEEKSTER) June 8, 2017
For the record, the definition of 'news' according to Merriam-Webster is:
- A report of recent events; previously unknown information; something having a specified influence or effect;
- Material reported in a newspaper or news periodical or on a newscast; a matter that is newsworthy;
- A newscast.
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