I used to believe that freestyle meant you could choose between breaststroke and backstroke.

Angela

In the 1990s, when I was a kid, I used to believe that Michael Jordan was the tallest man in the world!

Sara

I used to think that football players (American football that is) were not human. They wear those helmets and massive shoulderpads, which I thought were actually their heads and the shape of their bodies. I was very surprised the first time I saw one of them take his helmet off!

Sara

I remember once thinking that a game of cricket was about the two batters hitting the ball up and down, trying to hit each others wickets, and the fielders were only there to retrieve the ball.

Anon

When my father and little brother used to watch football on TV, the commentator would often make references to players being in the "penalty box". This was a specific area of the pitch from which penalty shots were taken.

I thought the "penalty box" was a big metal or wooden box that stood at the side of the pitch (near the manager's stand), and that players who'd committed a foul were locked in there until the end of the game. There was a little window so they could watch how their team were doing, but they had to sit in the box and reflect on their actions.

silverstar1809

i used to believe that the country Thailand was actually 'tyre-land', a magical place with tyres and elephants to play with.

Vet

When I about 5 years old, my Grandmother went away on a trip. When I asked where she was going, I was told: "Buffalo". I cried for days afterwards, afraid for her safety. In my mind, Buffalo (NY) was a huge open space full of big, mean Buffalos. Eventually, my mother figured out why I was so upset, and set me straight.

Corina