I think Meredith and I had similar childhood experiences. Because I read so much as a child, adults often did not know what do with me; they were not used to children my age asking such detailed questions. At least according to my mother, who may have been telling me that only to alleviate my apologies for being such an annoying child. As an adult, I can now easily use the word superfluous in a sentence.
For example: Yesterday after fixing a printer (for the hundredth time) and making a quip remark to the student worker, G, he said, “Man, you are smart!”” to which I replied, ““Nope, I just got a superfluous degree that made me a genius.””
–Jane, not superfluous