-- this post is dedicated to you, Clara.
The phrase 'a common misconception' is commonly, er, often used.
There are a lot of common misconceptions.
This site http://listverse.com/2007/12/01/top-10-common-misconceptions/ lists the 'top 10 common misconceptions'.
It is a horrible list though and not worth reading.
Wikipedia has quite a long page dedicated to common misconceptions at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_common_misconceptions
It lists a great many misconceptions in a number of different subject areas and it won't leave you feeling as empty and alone as the first list of misconceptions did.
One common misconception is that the even-toed ungulate within the subfamily Bovinae that roam parts of North America are called buffalo. In fact, these large hairy beasts are bison.
Some bison fun-facts courtesy of wikipedia:
- Bison have a fairly simple diet. The bison's main food is grass.
- Wallowing is a common behavior of bison.
- At the time bison ran wild, they were rated second only to the Alaska brown bear as a potential killer, more dangerous than the grizzly bear. In the words of early naturalists, they were a dangerous, savage animal that feared no other animal and in prime condition could best any foe.
- Some cattle breeds are intentionally bred with bison to produce, for instance, Beefalo hybrids.
My first ever siting of a Jeans Buffalo was in this commercial.... its classic stuff.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70VMJrKX_28
