this post was submitted on 25 Sep 2026
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Showerthoughts
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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The most popular seem to be lighthearted clever little truths, hidden in daily life.
Here are some examples to inspire your own showerthoughts:
- Both “200” and “160” are 2 minutes in microwave math
- When you’re a kid, you don’t realize you’re also watching your mom and dad grow up.
- More dreams have been destroyed by alarm clocks than anything else
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- If your topic is in a grey area, please phrase it to emphasize the fascinating aspects, not the dramatic aspects. You can do this by avoiding overly politicized terms such as "capitalism" and "communism". If you must make comparisons, you can say something is different without saying something is better/worse.
- A good place for politics is c/politicaldiscussion
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Myth.
Anyone who had their 1/3lb burger knows why A&W nearly went bankrupt, and it had nothing to do with the size of the patty.
It was easily the worst burger I've ever experienced.
"Americans don't understand fractions" is the marketing they used to save face. The reality is that they didn't have any repeat customers.
https://awrestaurants.com/blog/memories-history/the-truth-about-aws-third-pound-burger-and-the-major-math-mix-up/
They didn't almost go bankrupt, but yes they did have a focus group where the majority of people did not understand fractions.
That literally only comes from A&W themselves, and the first mention of it was in the memoir of the former CEO at the time.
After he released his memoir trying to rehabilitate his image after being released from prison for fraud.
Not exactly a reliable account. There are zero other sources for the myth than the chain itself.
Focus groups commissioned by the company get the results that the company wants. That is the entire point.
Are you saying the company wanted results saying people didn't understand 1/3 is more than 1/4?
That would be stupid.
It would be a way to hide the quality problems with the burger.
Got some proof on that?
No. Got some proof for your side?
Not the way this works, bud. You’d made a claim, you back it up with proof.
Yes, that is exactly what they wanted.
Ever hear the phrase "couldn't sell water in a desert"? A damning claim of incompetence, right?
The A&W marketing team couldn't sell a hamburger to Americans.
Americans.
They couldn't figure out how to sell this hamburger. To Americans.
Americans aren't particularly known for their rejection of fast food burgers, but here is a fast food burger, and here are Americans, noses upturned at the prospect of ordering it.
A&W desperately needed a scapegoat, and "Our customers are stupid" was easier to swallow than their nasty-ass burgers.
Got some proof on that besides “trust me bro”?
Focus group is the same group as those that do phone surveys.
Not representative of the norm, who like to do either about as much as jury duty.
Exactly. To have been confused about the price they'd actually have to have gone there. Which I don't believe ever happens.
When you order one turd sandwich from my restaurant and never come back for another, the problem isn't that you think my 1/3 lb turds are smaller than BKs 1/4lb patties.
The focus group did not capture the reason why the people who did buy it didn't become repeat customers. It was a fucking awful burger.
Are you serious dude? If i went to a restaurant, and thought I was paying MORE money for LESS food i would never go back. But go on your rant about how much you hate A&W or whatever.
And I'm betting if you went to a restaurant and the food was absolutely terrible, you wouldn't go back either, or at least wouldn't order that same, terrible meal.
A&W is great. They're one of the last drive-in restaurants in my area. I have coney dogs and root beer floats every time I go. But their 1/3lb burgers were so complete shit that I won't even try their burgers now. Their burgers were worse than DQ's. Worse than cafeteria burgers. They could have made them twice as large, and they still wouldn't have sold, because they were utter shit.
Who went to A&W for anything other than root beer floats and why were they allowed in public while being so wrong?
(never mind--replied in wrong place)
Oh, I'm sorry. Are you one of the people who thought fractions were confusing? I've never met someone over the age of 8 who couldn't figure them out.