What have you learned today?

Chimpzy

Simian Abomination
Legacy
Escapist +
Apr 3, 2020
12,190
8,435
118
Apparently writing a cheque to pay for stuff is still a thing in the US?

Cuz it's not over here, and hasn't been since the '90s. They technically still exist, but no one uses them anymore outside of the government internally and maybe some oldsters stuck in their ways.
 

Xprimentyl

Made you look...
Legacy
Aug 13, 2011
6,209
4,482
118
Plano, TX
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Apparently writing a cheque to pay for stuff is still a thing in the US?

Cuz it's not over here, and hasn't been since the '90s. They technically still exist, but no one uses them anymore outside of the government internally and maybe some oldsters stuck in their ways.
It's the same here. Very few people routinely write checks anywhere save for maybe rent or something, and even that's a rarity. Like, the only people you see writing checks at the grocery store are old ladies with one foot in the grave.
 

The Rogue Wolf

Stealthy Carnivore
Legacy
Nov 25, 2007
16,302
8,779
118
Stalking the Digital Tundra
Gender
✅
Apparently writing a cheque to pay for stuff is still a thing in the US?

Cuz it's not over here, and hasn't been since the '90s. They technically still exist, but no one uses them anymore outside of the government internally and maybe some oldsters stuck in their ways.
I think some people like having that extra couple of days of processing time before a payment hits their bank account. Me, I only ever used checks to pay my rent, until the company that owns the building updated their payment site so it actually worked. Now the checkbook is sitting and collecting dust.
 

Dalisclock

Making lemons combustible again
Legacy
Escapist +
Feb 9, 2008
11,228
7,007
118
A Barrel In the Marketplace
Country
Eagleland
Gender
Male
It's the same here. Very few people routinely write checks anywhere save for maybe rent or something, and even that's a rarity. Like, the only people you see writing checks at the grocery store are old ladies with one foot in the grave.
I think I've had to write like 3 checks in the past decade to contractors or people who for some reason didn't take card.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Xprimentyl

Xprimentyl

Made you look...
Legacy
Aug 13, 2011
6,209
4,482
118
Plano, TX
Country
United States
Gender
Male
I think I've had to write like 3 checks in the past decade to contractors or people who for some reason didn't take card.
Same. My girlfriend (homeowner) will write checks for one-off service people in lieu of cash or card. I don't know why since most of them accept cards, but she prefers a check. Outside of that, the checkbook collects dust on her vanity. Me? I got a stash of several books of checks with my bank account years ago and have yet to get through the first book since.
 
  • Like
Reactions: hanselthecaretaker

davidmc1158

Elite Member
Legacy
Apr 4, 2020
222
257
68
Huh, I'm still using checks for quite a few things. Monthly bills, grocery shopping, etc. I've been told by a couple of stores that they actually like receiving checks because credit card companies charge a small, extra fee to process purchases so they get a slightly higher profit margin with a check-payed purchase.

I suppose checks will disappear from usage in my lifetime, but I personally prefer having a paper trail to keep track of where my money's gone.
 

Asita

Answer Hazy, Ask Again Later
Legacy
Jun 15, 2011
3,198
1,038
118
Country
USA
Gender
Male
Found a thing. Enter a year and get a list of words that were used in print for the first time.

Entered my year of birth. Got, among other stuff: anime, latte, sexual predator, beatboxing & microbrew.

Interesting collection. All things people commonly enjoy to this day, except for anime /s
...I think I win. I get "Nanomachine".
 

Baffle

Elite Member
Oct 22, 2016
3,459
2,746
118
Found a thing. Enter a year and get a list of words that were used in print for the first time.

Entered my year of birth. Got, among other stuff: anime, latte, sexual predator, beatboxing & microbrew.

Interesting collection. All things people commonly enjoy to this day, except for anime /s
I got dongle.
 

Gordon_4

The Big Engine
Legacy
Apr 3, 2020
6,045
5,345
118
Australia
Found a thing. Enter a year and get a list of words that were used in print for the first time.

Entered my year of birth. Got, among other stuff: anime, latte, sexual predator, beatboxing & microbrew.

Interesting collection. All things people commonly enjoy to this day, except for anime /s
Shit, I got:

Atomic Force Microscope; HIV (and its derivatives), AIDS, fax modem, nano machine, perestroika and above all…….

Internet
 
  • Like
Reactions: Chimpzy

Zykon TheLich

Extra Heretical!
Legacy
Jun 6, 2008
3,446
781
118
Country
UK
Found a thing. Enter a year and get a list of words that were used in print for the first time.

Entered my year of birth. Got, among other stuff: anime, latte, sexual predator, beatboxing & microbrew.

Interesting collection. All things people commonly enjoy to this day, except for anime /s

MDMA. Nice.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Chimpzy

Gordon_4

The Big Engine
Legacy
Apr 3, 2020
6,045
5,345
118
Australia
Apparently writing a cheque to pay for stuff is still a thing in the US?

Cuz it's not over here, and hasn't been since the '90s. They technically still exist, but no one uses them anymore outside of the government internally and maybe some oldsters stuck in their ways.
Yeah, if American television is to be believed then direct debit is some mysterious occult magic that remains out of reach.

I mean I’m sure it isn’t but goddamn writers, catch your shit up.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dalisclock

Xprimentyl

Made you look...
Legacy
Aug 13, 2011
6,209
4,482
118
Plano, TX
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Yeah, if American television is to be believed then direct debit is some mysterious occult magic that remains out of reach.

I mean I’m sure it isn’t but goddamn writers, catch your shit up.
Out of curiosity, what are you basing that on? I don't see a lot of check-writing on American television, but then again, I don't watch a lot of television outside of sports, and neither debit use nor check-writing come up in that much at all.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dalisclock

hanselthecaretaker

My flask is half full
Legacy
Nov 18, 2010
8,738
5,905
118


Interesting, but I wonder if this eventually is approved for use and becomes wide spread enough if it will lead to more resistant “super” strains of this crap. Seems like it could be a vicious cycle where humans are always at least a step behind.
 

Dalisclock

Making lemons combustible again
Legacy
Escapist +
Feb 9, 2008
11,228
7,007
118
A Barrel In the Marketplace
Country
Eagleland
Gender
Male
In 18th century Germany, there was apparently a secret society called the Order of the Pug(as in those stupid little dogs) which was apparently formed in response to a Papal Bull that said Catholics could not be Masons so the society was formed to allow Catholics to be Masons or some such.

Interestingly, Women were also allowed to join as long as they were Catholic and each lodge had a man and a woman in charge of it, so yay for gender equality I guess?

The Members apparently called themselves Mops(German for Pug) and part of the initiation ritual is quoted as going like this.

Novices were initiated wearing a dog collar and had to scratch at the door to be admitted inside. The novices were blindfolded and led nine times around a carpet with symbols on it, while the Pugs of the order barked loudly to test the steadiness of the newcomers. During the initiation, the novices also had to kiss a porcelain pug's backside under its tail as an expression of devotion to the order.
On one hand, this all sounds like a Wikipedia joke but other hand, secret societies are fucking weird so maybe this was a real thing. Who knows?

Edit: I just realized this might have been a Pet Play club for rich weirdos in the 18th century and I don't know if that makes it worse or not.
 
Last edited:

Gordon_4

The Big Engine
Legacy
Apr 3, 2020
6,045
5,345
118
Australia
In 18th century Germany, there was apparently a secret society called the Order of the Pug(as in those stupid little dogs) which was apparently formed in response to a Papal Bull that said Catholics could not be Masons so the society was formed to allow Catholics to be Masons or some such.

Interestingly, Women were also allowed to join as long as they were Catholic and each lodge and a man and a woman in charge of it, so yay for gender equality I guess?

The Members apparently called themselves Mops(German for Pug) and part of the initiation ritual is quoted as going like this.



On one hand, this all sounds like a Wikipedia joke but other hand, secret societies are fucking weird so maybe this was a real thing. Who knows?

That sounds remarkably like the initiation ceremony for the Todgers in The Thin Blue Line. Now I always thought they were a deliberately silly and more importantly, fake, knock off of the Mason but after reading this I'm not so sure.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Dalisclock