Marketplace®

Daily business news and economic stories

“Shrill” writer Lindy West was wrong about Canada geese

Lindy West talks with Kai Ryssdal and Kimberly Adams during a live taping of Marketplace's "Make Me Smart" podcast in Seattle.
Lindy West talks with Kai Ryssdal and Kimberly Adams during a live taping of Marketplace's "Make Me Smart" podcast in Seattle.
Juan Pablo Chiquiza, KUOW

Every week on “Make Me Smart,” we ask an expert, celebrity, author or other prominent figure: “What’s something you thought you knew but later found out you were wrong about?” It’s called the Make Me Smart question.

Seattle writer and comedian Lindy West, known for her memoir, “Shrill,” which was adapted into a Hulu series, knows a lot of animal facts. But there was one she was wrong about.

For years, as an adult, I believed that Canada geese, which we have many of here in Washington, were not called that because they’re from Canada, but because they were discovered by a guy named, like, Mr. Canada. Someone told me that. Clearly it was a joke, and I thought it was true. Only a couple of years ago, someone was like, “There’s no way that’s true. That can’t be correct.” So I went and looked it up. And it was, in fact, not correct. I don’t remember where it came from or who tricked me, but it was humiliating.

You can share your answer to the Make Me Smart question by leaving us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email a voice memo to makemesmart@marketplace.org.

Related Topics

Latest Episodes

View All Shows
  • Marketplace Morning Report
    4 hours ago
    7:06
  • Marketplace Tech
    9 hours ago
    3:53
  • Make Me Smart
    a day ago
    13:57
  • Marketplace
    21 hours ago
    25:38
  • Financially Inclined
    6 days ago
    15:02
  • How We Survive
    a day ago
    32:45