Spinning You A Yarn Of An Explanation
(I work in a clothing store that has one wool sweater for sale. As we’re a tourist stop, we tell people how to wash the sweater when they purchase it. Normally people just nod, thank me, or ask a question like if they should have it dry cleaned. I recognize a girl from earlier in the day when she bought a sweater, but she is back with a friend who is buying one so they can use her discount card.)
Me: “This is 100% wool, so you’re going to want to hand wash it and lay it flat to dry. If you put it in the dryer it’ll become a sweater for a cat.”
Girl: “What’s wool made of?”
Me: *thinking I misheard her* “I’m sorry?”
Girl: “Do you know what wool is made of?”
Me: “It’s sheep’s hair.”
Girl: *looks confused*
Me: “You shear a sheep — basically giving it a haircut — and then that’s spun into yarn and tada! A sweater.”
(The girl looked at me like she was horrified that she’d asked such a stupid question. It was obvious she knew the answer but had just forgotten at the moment when she asked. The rest of the transaction was done in silence.)