i always start my questions with something like "maybe i'm being a bit thick but..." which works well because it signposts up front that you're not trying to be

i always start my questions with something like "maybe i'm being a bit thick but..." which works well because it signposts up front that you're not trying to be awkward or obstructive. Most of the time it turns out that a bunch of other people had the same questions but didn't want to appear stupid