Understand The Difference Between ‘Second Cousin’ And ‘Cousin Once Removed’

“Oh, you know Sarah? She’s my cousin twice removed!”

Um… okay, how many of you can honestly say that you know what that means? Do you know what a “second cousin” is? Or how about “third cousin, thrice removed?” Come on, no Googling!

While you’ve probably heard these terms many times before in your life, if you’re like me then you’ve probably just processed that piece of information in your brain as “they’re related… somehow.” And that’s okay. There’s no need to be ashamed because we aren’t alone. You’d be amazed at the number of people who don’t actually understand the true meaning of these words.

“Honey, she claims to be your ‘second cousin.’ Do I accept her Facebook friend invite or not?”

But what if I told you that it didn’t have to be this way? What if I told you that instead of “hmmm… maybe I’ll look up what those terms mean later,” today is the day that you finally learn just how distant your distant relatives really are? Well, friend, today is indeed that day.

Actually, that day could have been some time in January of 1987, when Alice J. Ramsay took the time to create a handy family relationship chart. It’s rumored that a collective “oooooh” could be heard across the globe the very moment that she completed the chart.

Behold! Your ticket to finally understanding what all noise actually means!

The chart may seem a bit intimidating at first, but once you understand how it works it’s actually very simple.

Phew! Now that we got all of that sorted out, check out this funny song video that shows the family tree using a real example. And if someone asks you who the people in the photos are, feel free to show off your newfound knowledge of family relationships and then give yourself a pat on the back!


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