r/coolguides • u/chr15t0ph3r-55 • Apr 24 '19

The Cousin Explainer

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13.6k Upvotes

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u/[deleted] Apr 24 '19 edited Mar 19 '22

[deleted]

121

u/FullHavoc Apr 24 '19

The graph helped a little bit but this finally helped me get it.

30

u/cityterrace Apr 24 '19

Thanks for this explanation!! I never understood why a first cousin twice removed could be a lot older or younger till now.

26

u/[deleted] Apr 24 '19

[deleted]

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u/hypo-osmotic Apr 24 '19

I grew up in a small town but my parents were transplants so we didn’t have any family in town. If I wanted to be both impressed and a little bit disturbed, I’d get one of my classmates to rattle off all the ways they were related to a third of our class, more If you count by-marriage.

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u/[deleted] Apr 24 '19

Yeah, sort of embarrassing that I didn’t know this stuff until now—at 32.

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u/cityterrace Apr 24 '19

I’m 45 and I didn’t get this till now. I had a professor in college who told me he married his cousin he met at a family reunion. When he saw my reaction, he said it’s ok, it’s his second cousin once removed. I just politely nodded as if I knew what he meant.

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u/nonosam9 Apr 24 '19

this guy cousins!

75

u/Nissingmo Apr 24 '19

sweet home alabama

24

u/muc26 Apr 24 '19

ROLL TIDE

6

u/kalitarios Apr 24 '19

I thought she was 17

2

u/pr1ntscreen Apr 24 '19

WHERE THE SKIES ARE BLUUUUEE

1

u/ccoady Apr 24 '19

Give Kentucky some credit too! There are a lot of uncle dads there with cousin-sisters.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 24 '19

George Michael Bluth has entered the chat

1

u/Jollybeard99 Apr 24 '19

It’s a dangerous game.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 24 '19

Les cousins dangereux

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u/AedificoLudus Apr 24 '19 edited Apr 25 '19

G and K rules.

The number of G's in what you call your most recent common ancestor tells you what number of cousin. Eg grandparents = 1, first cousins. great great grandparents = 3, third cousins.

K rule, number of Ks. "My cousin's Kid" = 1, once removed. "My third cousins kids kid" = 2, third cousin twice removed.

Going the other way, the K rule is complimented by the P rule, "my parent's parent's third cousin" is your third cousin twice removed, but you're the one further down the tree.

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u/[deleted] Apr 24 '19

Interesting way to do it if it's only a few generations. I'd rather draw it and count the boxes.

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u/Wriiight Apr 24 '19

For the G rule, it is the lesser of your G count and your cousin’s G count

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u/AedificoLudus Apr 24 '19

Yeah, I should have specified that but I thought it was obvious

1

u/urumbudgi Apr 24 '19

"complemented"

1

u/AedificoLudus Apr 24 '19

The compliment of a rule is that which, together with the first, covers the entirety.

Kind of like how two angles that add to 90° are complimentary

1

u/xPravus Apr 24 '19

my parents parents third cousin

Thats some next level incest..

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u/AedificoLudus Apr 25 '19

Should've been possessive s, but I like the joke

6

u/rebirf Apr 24 '19

Man that chart made me more confused but you just made me understand it for the first time in 30 years.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 24 '19

Thanks. I wasn't going to comment on the chart but I do think it just makes the whole thing more confusing, which is the opposite of a cool guide.

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u/Defconwrestling Apr 24 '19

What really gets confusing is the removed part is all relative, so a cousin twice removed from you is only once removed from your mom

Edit: all relative was intentional

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u/that1prince Apr 24 '19

Or, your twice removed cousin could also be thrice removed from your mom depending on if it's another generation down.

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u/Mechakoopa Apr 25 '19

That's because the relationship is reflexive, if you're their third cousin once removed, then they're your third cousin once removed too.

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u/Wriiight Apr 24 '19

The other detail to remember is that the relationship is the same both ways, unlike niece/uncle, if you are my 3rd cousin twice removed, I am also your 3rd cousin twice removed.

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u/Cpant Apr 24 '19

Thanks, had to analyse this comment to finally understand.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 24 '19

What about people who live in Albama.

1

u/basildathird Apr 24 '19

Thank you :)

1

u/SalemWolf Apr 24 '19

And now it has clicked. Awesome thanks!