One of my favourite definitions of common sense is

"That load of prejudices you picked up before you turned 15."

I suppose I first heard it when I was about 17, when it certainly rang true for me.

And I rather like VirginaTam's paraphrasing of Thomas Paine's definition; there was a thinker who could make sense and still get parties opposed to each other also opposed to his ideas.

In Oz, the national broadcaster (ABC) runs a short weekly program called MediaWatch that regularly reveals the laziness of editors and presenters who present urban myths and hoary chestnuts as recent and gospel. Around Christmas they put the program out to pasture to give us whistleblowers a break but it is scheduled to return.

Cheers, Rowan