Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Thursday, March 23
    Trending
    • This Day in History on March 23rd
    • R.I.P. Lance Reddick (1962-2023)
    • This Day in History on March 22nd
    • This Day in History on March 21st
    • Animated Map of the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine (through March 20th, 2023)
    • This Day in History on March 20th
    • April 4, 2023: Your Chance to Preview Air
    • This Day in History on March 19th
    History and Headlines
    • Arts & Entertainment
      • Cinema & TV
      • Games
      • Literature
      • Music
      • Sports
      • Video Games
    • Bizarre Bulletin
      • Misconceptions
      • The Bizarre
      • The Paranormal
      • The Unexplained
    • Lifestyle
      • Animals/Pets
      • Fashion
      • Food
      • Health/Medicine
      • Home Improvement
      • Horoscopes
      • Travel
    • Science & Tech
      • Inventions
      • Nature
      • Vehicles
    • Society
      • Business and Economics
      • Crime
      • Military
      • Politics
      • Religion
      • Society
    • About
      • Welcome to Our Site!
      • This Day in History
      • Table of Contents: A History of the World
      • Online History Textbooks
      • A Guide to Some of Our Favorite Scholars and Educators
      • Advance Screenings and Movie Reviews Archive
      • Schedule of Video Adaptations of Our Articles
    • Friends
      • Armchair History TV
      • Fact Fiend
      • RealClearHistory
      • Simply Charly
      • TopTenz
      • ​Unique Interpretations
    History and Headlines
    You are at:Home»April»April 8»April 8, 1935: Parents Are Wrong About SO MANY Things!
    April 8

    April 8, 1935: Parents Are Wrong About SO MANY Things!

    Major DanBy Major DanApril 8, 2017Updated:March 5, 202013 Comments4 Mins Read
    Email Facebook LinkedIn Pinterest Reddit Telegram Tumblr Twitter VKontakte WhatsApp

    A Brief History

    On April 8, 1935, the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1935 went into effect, and as a byproduct created the Works Progress Administration (later renamed the Work Projects Administration). This ambitious Federal government effort to get unemployed Americans back to work and accomplish much needed improvements to the country’s infrastructure was responsible for an incredible array of public construction projects, including the building of many roads, public buildings, airports (Midway in Chicago), and even sports stadiums such as the Akron Rubber Bowl.

    Digging Deeper

    One project NOT built by the WPA was Cleveland Municipal Stadium, where the Indians and Browns played for many years, although I had been told by my parents (and others) many times that this “mistake on the lake” giant stadium had been built by the WPA. What else could my parents have been wrong about? This incorrect information was not passed on as a lie in bad faith, just as mistaken information, bum scoop if you will. (Donald Trump would call it “Fake News.”)

    Infographic How to spot fake news published by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions

    My father, of Polish descent, was always pointing out this famous person or that famous person as being a fellow “Polock.” Some of the people misidentified as Polish included actors Nick Adams (Ukrainian) and Kim Novak (Slovak). He also told me on numerous occasions that Lee Marvin and James Coburn were brothers, an error I found out when I repeated the bum scoop on this website! An otherwise intelligent and good hearted man, my Dad came up with some goofy ideas presented to us as fact while growing up. One repeat bit of bad advice freely handed out was “When everyone is betting one way, bet the other.” This is almost assuredly why he never won while betting on football games. He also claimed that peppermint was a cure all for stomach problems, a myth debunked by science. Nobody is right about everything, and neither was my Dad. He predicted Beatles music would never stand the test of time, but that 1940’s music would. The English language was another target for mistakes, as words were misused such as “malinger” presented as “linger” or “goofing off, wasting time, etc.” Irregardless was another non-word passed into our vocabularies.

    Speaking of science, my Mother was good for perpetuating myths such as having to wait an hour, a half hour, or 15 minutes after eating before going into a pool, the time variable undoubtedly being scientifically related to whatever suited her at the time. Also, sitting on a cement front porch without some sort of pad under the butt (even a sheet of newspaper) would lead to “piles.” Another blunder of my parents, one repeated by me when I had kids, was to demand that we “clean our plates” and eat everything we were given whether we were full or not. This practice has been found by scientists to lead to obesity. (Well, duh!) One thing she was right about, was my face really did stay like the goofy face I was making…

    Another eating related bit of misinformation was that “Truckers know where the good food is” and the follow-on myth that truck stops were good places to eat. During our frequent car rides and vacation travels my siblings and I were subjected to the toughest, chewiest, and worst roast beef with gravy over bread on the face of the Earth. My childhood was nearly ruined by eating at these lousy truck stops instead of at some decent eatery such as Howard Johnson or Big Boy. Many years later, my parents admitted the mistake, too late for my traumatized taste buds.

    Signage for Iowa 80, the world’s largest truck stop. It is located in Walcott, Iowa.

    Misquotes, improper use of English, repeating urban myths, bad betting advice and a unique view of history were all part of my heritage passed down by my parents. I wonder how many things I have incorrectly passed down to my boys! Question for students (and subscribers): If you have some stories about bum scoop perpetuated by your parents, please share them with us in the comments section below this article.

    If you liked this article and would like to receive notification of new articles, please feel welcome to subscribe to History and Headlines by liking us on Facebook and becoming one of our patrons!

    Your readership is much appreciated!

    Historical Evidence

    For more information, please see…

    Taylor, Nick. American-Made: The Enduring Legacy of the WPA: When FDR Put the Nation to Work. Bantam, 2009.

    Share. Email Facebook LinkedIn Pinterest Reddit Telegram Twitter Tumblr
    Previous ArticleApril 7, 30 AD: Crucifixion and Death of Jesus Christ (We think…)
    Next Article April 9, 1967: Most Successful Jet Airliner Ever Makes First Flight (737)
    Major Dan

    Major Dan is a retired veteran of the United States Marine Corps. He served during the Cold War and has traveled to many countries around the world. Prior to his military service, he graduated from Cleveland State University, having majored in sociology. Following his military service, he worked as a police officer eventually earning the rank of captain prior to his retirement.

    Related Posts

    Animated Map of the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine (through March 20th, 2023)

    March 20, 2023

    Happy Saint Patrick’s Day and Women’s History Month 2023!

    March 17, 2023

    History Short: Is Nuclear Power Safe?

    March 12, 2023
    Follow Us!
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Patreon
    Sign Up For Our Newsletter!
    Most Recent

    This Day in History on March 23rd

    March 23, 2023

    R.I.P. Lance Reddick (1962-2023)

    March 23, 2023

    This Day in History on March 22nd

    March 22, 2023

    This Day in History on March 21st

    March 21, 2023

    Animated Map of the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine (through March 20th, 2023)

    March 20, 2023
    This Day in History Video

    Advertisements




    Amazon Affiliate Disclosure Statement

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases via links in the “Historical Evidence” sections of articles.

    About HistoryAndHeadlines.com

    Thanks for visiting History and Headlines!  This site exists primarily for educational purposes and is intended as a resource for Dr. Zar’s students.  Articles are mostly written by either Dr. Zar or his dad (Major Dan).  To any guest readers, please keep that in mind when commenting on articles.   Thank you!

    We try to present our students with historical topics that are both diverse and a bit out of the ordinary.  Our motto is “We try until we succeed!”

    Contact us at admin@historyandheadlines.com

    Guidelines and Policies for Images used on This Site, as well as for Guest and Sponsored Articles, and Other Terms of Use

    Privacy Statement

    © 2023 History and Headlines

    All-Time Most Commented

    July 28, 1866: 18 Year Old Girl Wins Commission to Sculpt Statue of Lincoln (A Truly Great American Woman)

    July 28, 2014

    December 24, 1865: Birth of the Ku Klux Klan

    December 24, 2015

    December 25, 1868: President Johnson Pardons all Confederate Veterans

    December 25, 2015

    February 5, 1909: First Plastic Invented was called Bakelite!

    February 5, 2014

    November 23, 1876: “Boss” Tweed Turned Over to Authorities

    November 23, 2013
    Recommended Book
    © 2023 ThemeSphere. Designed by ThemeSphere.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

    You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings.

    History and Headlines
    Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

    Strictly Necessary Cookies

    Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

    If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.