Knowledge is power

Just an anecdote: I went grocery shopping and bought, among other things, some shallots. The cashier was completely mystified and I had to tell her what they were so that she could ring them up. When I came home, The Boy was feeling uncharacteristically helpful and started unpacking the bags for me, listing his discoveries and his opinions of each item as they came out. ("Rice milk - okay. Chips - yea! Carrots - yuck. More spinach - just what we needed (not). Shallots?")

I looked at him and repeated, "Did you just say, 'Shallots'?"
"Yeah. Isn't that what they are?"
"Yes. I'm just impressed that you knew that because the cashier didn't."
"What can I say? I'm a genius. That and maybe I've been watching too many shows on the Food Network."