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yesman 09-05-2004 17:05
Did you know ?
 
Post some of your interesting facts or trivia.

Here is my first.


In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts. So in old England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them to mind their own pints and quarts and settle down. It's where we get the phrase "mind your P's and Q's."

homealone 09-05-2004 17:45
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
The term 'toddlers' originated in England. There were impurities in the drinking water that disallowed the water to be used for drinking. A common alternative drink was beer (it was cheep, plentiful and the water used to make it was treated during the initial boiling during brewing). Toddlers, just weaning off of mothers milk were unaccustomed to the effects of beer. This coupled with the fact that they were just learning how to walk really made them toddle.
from http://www.comedy-zone.net/triviazone/

Atomic22 09-05-2004 17:48
Re: Did you know ?
 
i had never heard of that one before yesman.......i always thought it meant "be polite" not "oi stop brawling" hehe

yesman 09-05-2004 17:59
Re: Did you know ?
 
Pharmacistââ ¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚¬ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢s Lea and Perrins made Worcester Sauce by imitating an Indian recipe in 1837

yesman 09-05-2004 18:06
Re: Did you know ?
 
Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.

Such a shame for us baldies :D

homealone 09-05-2004 18:14
Re: Did you know ?
 
On the island of Jersey it's against the law for a man to knit during the fishing season. :erm:

- stand back from the needles & put your hands up :D

yesman 09-05-2004 18:18
Re: Did you know ?
 
The active ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid. Its Ph is 2.8. It will dissolve a nail in about 4 days.
To carry Coca-Cola syrup (the concentrate) the commercial truck must use the Hazardous material placard reserved for Highly corrosive materials.
The distributors of Coke have been using it to clean the engines of their trucks for about 20 years!

Chris W 09-05-2004 18:22
Re: Did you know ?
 
A marriage can be annulled if the bride to be has been wearing
undergarments that alter the appearance of her figure, and the groom is not pleased after the present is unwrapped on the wedding night!

Jerrek 09-05-2004 18:22
Re: Did you know ?
 
Why is New York City called the Big Apple?

In the 1800's, Europeans fled to North America because of Napoleon's brutal regime. Most ended up in New York City. One of these exiled nobles was a lady Evelyn of [something]. She ran a saloon for the more wealthy of the city and offered a place for them to drink, dine, and be entertained. She also provided, as part of the experience, entertainment for men.

As time went on, folks anglisized her name to Eve.

Eve's employees were reputedly very beautiful and very tempting to the men of the city, and folks started using the phrase "tempting as Eve's apples." As time went on, "apple" was used in general to refer to someone in this particular line of work, and New York City became known as the city of the best apples. In the first two decades of the 20th century, one writer started calling New York City the Big Apple, and the term stuck.

:)

homealone 09-05-2004 18:23
Re: Did you know ?
 
The approximate cost to make the movie, Titanic, was $200 million, while it would cost about $123 million in today's dollars to build the ship.

Colin 09-05-2004 18:25
Re: Did you know ?
 
A surfer once sued another surfer for "stealing his wave." The case was thrown out because the court was unable to put a price on "pain and suffering" endured by the surfer watching someone else ride "his" wave.

Scrubbs 09-05-2004 18:46
Re: Did you know ?
 
Another seafaring term is " show a leg" or "shake a leg" ie to get a move on...
In the days of sail when the ship was in port the men were allowed to bring there wive's onboard BUT they still had to turn to in the morning.
the bosun would come down to where the men would sleep and shout
"show a leg"
the hairy ones got thrown out of their hammock to go on shift

Scrubbs 09-05-2004 18:50
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by yesman
Post some of your interesting facts or trivia.

Here is my first.


In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts. So in old England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them to mind their own pints and quarts and settle down. It's where we get the phrase "mind your P's and Q's."
just an added bit:)
the beer was bought "on tick" it was written down on a chalkboard how many
"P's and Q's" you owed
If you didn't behave no more beer

where does "on tick come from anyway??:erm:

yesman 09-05-2004 19:16
Re: Did you know ?
 
In WD40, the WD stands for "Water Displacer"

yesman 09-05-2004 19:17
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Scrubbs
just an added bit:)
the beer was bought "on tick" it was written down on a chalkboard how many
"P's and Q's" you owed
If you didn't behave no more beer

where does "on tick come from anyway??:erm:
No idea Scrubbs :dunce:

Graham 09-05-2004 19:24
Re: Did you know ?
 
Err, I think the expression "Mind your p's and q's" actually comes from printing because it's easy to get the two mixed up when you're compositing (that's "putting a page of text together" before anyone makes any comments!!)

As for the "Coke/ Nail" comment: http://www.snopes.com/cokelore/tooth.asp

yesman 09-05-2004 19:37
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Graham
Err, I think the expression "Mind your p's and q's" actually comes from printing because it's easy to get the two mixed up when you're compositing (that's "putting a page of text together" before anyone makes any comments!!)

As for the "Coke/ Nail" comment: http://www.snopes.com/cokelore/tooth.asp
There a few derivatives of this Graham , believe what you like.

Maybe you can explain the derivative of the word "Err"

Scrubbs 09-05-2004 19:53
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Graham
Err, I think the expression "Mind your p's and q's" actually comes from printing because it's easy to get the two mixed up when you're compositing (that's "putting a page of text together" before anyone makes any comments!!)

As for the "Coke/ Nail" comment: http://www.snopes.com/cokelore/tooth.asp
ahh ..so thats why the "q" is at the opposite end to the "p" on the keyboard :dunce: :D :D

Chimaera 09-05-2004 19:54
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Scrubbs
just an added bit:)
the beer was bought "on tick" it was written down on a chalkboard how many
"P's and Q's" you owed
If you didn't behave no more beer

where does "on tick come from anyway??:erm:
A quick google search bought this explanation up:
Quote:
To have something on tick is to have it on credit. Tick in this instance is an abbreviated form of "ticket", i.e. the note that was written to record the debt

Xaccers 09-05-2004 19:55
Re: Did you know ?
 
P's and Q's is definitely pints and quarts as it's a phrase older than the printing press.

The words "bloody" is offencive because it's a contraction of "by our lady" and there for blasphimus

sh*t and f**k are saxon for rubbish and sex.
We were invaded by the Normans (Norse men of France) and it became fashionable to speak Norman French (saxon was considered course and for the peasants) so if you wanted to shock you'd say something in saxon.
Over the years the shockability of those words increased, until recently when they've become more mild.
c*nt is another saxon word, the word quaint comes from it.

When the Normans invaded, they put someone (can't remember his name) in charge of Scotland as Steward.
This evolved into Stewart, where the Stewart clan comes from.
Mary queen of scotts lived in France, and couldn't pronounce Stewart properly, so she changed the spelling to Stuart.

iadom 09-05-2004 20:03
Re: Did you know ?
 
Trust me to post this, The name Hotpoint ( which does appear strange on a fridge) comes from a time when the parent company (possibly Canadian Light & Power) developed an electric flat iron that got hot right up to the toe.

Chris W 09-05-2004 20:15
Re: Did you know ?
 
The english way of making an offensive sign two someone uses two fingers because this goes back to the time people used bow and arrows. It was to symbolise the pulling the of the string of the bow ready to shoot someone.

If anyone could explain why Americans swear with the middle fingers it would be appreciated :)

MB :monkey:

Scrubbs 09-05-2004 20:22
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by monkeybreath
The english way of making an offensive sign two someone uses two fingers because this goes back to the time people used bow and arrows. It was to symbolise the pulling the of the string of the bow ready to shoot someone.a famous battle in france, the french cut off the the index and middle finger of any english archer they caught. hence the one's outside the castle give 2 fingers to say "I've still got my fingers and your'e in trouble:D I think we won

If anyone could explain why Americans swear with the middle fingers it would be appreciated :)

MB :monkey:
middle finger = swivel on this i.e. stick this where the sun don't shine

Xaccers 09-05-2004 20:23
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by monkeybreath
The english way of making an offensive sign two someone uses two fingers because this goes back to the time people used bow and arrows. It was to symbolise the pulling the of the string of the bow ready to shoot someone.

If anyone could explain why Americans swear with the middle fingers it would be appreciated :)

MB :monkey:
Yup it was a sign to the French to say I've still got my fingers and can kill you, as they used to chop them off any english captured (course we just retrained with the remaining fingers)

As for "the bird"
The first literary reference to The Finger in a 423 B.C. version of Aristophanesâââ€à …¡Ã‚¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢ The Clouds.
It represents waving your phalus at the opposition

yesman 09-05-2004 20:35
Re: Did you know ?
 
The male praying mantis cannot copulate while its head is attached to its body. The female initiates sex by ripping the male's head off.

Nice !!!!!

Xaccers 09-05-2004 20:36
Re: Did you know ?
 
A ****roach can live for 8 days without a head before starving to death

Stuart 09-05-2004 21:26
Re: Did you know ?
 
Does anyone know why we use the "QWERTY" layout for keyboards, and not the more logical alphabetical layout?

Well, apparently the first generation of typewriters had an alphabetical layout. However the mechanism inside the typewriter could not keep up with the typist and jammed repeatedly. The Qwerty layout was designed to slow typists to the point where the mechanism could cope without jamming.

Computer keyboards could cope with the speed of human typists easily, but keep the same layout purely because it is now standard.

Sipowicz 09-05-2004 21:26
Re: Did you know ?
 
I was told that our favourite term for telling someone to go forth and multiplying, came from a time when copulation amongst the royal staff had to have the Kings consent, and an appropriate licence issued. This licence bore the term: Fornicating Under Consent of the King abbreviated to.......F**K

If it isn't true, it is still an interesting explanation!

sir_drinks_alot 09-05-2004 21:29
Re: Did you know ?
 
did you know.....

Heaviest Ever Newspaper
On average, the New York Times is read by 1,094,000 people on weekdays, and by 1,650,000 on Sundays. The owner of the paper, The New York Times Co, has no trouble getting its message out as it also owns the Boston Globe, 18 regional daily newspapers, eight television stations, two radio stations, and a number of magazines. The record-breaking edition of the newspaper, published on September 14, 1987, had a staggering 1,612 pages!






info from Guinness World Records

Sipowicz 09-05-2004 21:31
Re: Did you know ?
 
This one I do know: The term "Toeing the Line" comes from the Houses of Parliament. In the days when our MP's WERE gentlemen and carried swords, heated debates often ended in sword fights between front benchers. In order to restrict this habit, the then Speaker ordered opposing MP's to stand opposite each other, sword tip to sword tip and a line was painted on the floor of the chamber at the tip of each foot. Afterwards, anyone making a speech from the front benches had to stand with their toes behind the line without crossing it!!

Xaccers 09-05-2004 21:31
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sipowicz
I was told that our favourite term for telling someone to go forth and multiplying, came from a time when copulation amongst the royal staff had to have the Kings consent, and an appropriate licence issued. This licence bore the term: Fornicating Under Consent of the King abbreviated to.......F**K

If it isn't true, it is still an interesting explanation!
nope f*ck is definitely anglo saxon for sex :D

yesman 09-05-2004 21:33
Re: Did you know ?
 
Not sure about this one, but it seems possible...

If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle; if the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died as a result of wounds recieved in battle; if the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.


Maybe someone could varify it ?

Stuart 09-05-2004 21:33
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sipowicz
I was told that our favourite term for telling someone to go forth and multiplying, came from a time when copulation amongst the royal staff had to have the Kings consent, and an appropriate licence issued. This licence bore the term: Fornicating Under Consent of the King abbreviated to.......F**K

If it isn't true, it is still an interesting explanation!
Snopes agrees..

http://tinyurl.com/hai4

It also suggests "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge"

Chimaera 09-05-2004 21:34
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by yesman
Not sure about this one, but it seems possible...

If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle; if the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died as a result of wounds recieved in battle; if the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.


Maybe someone could varify it ?
Well that's what my Mum always told me! :D

Mal 09-05-2004 21:37
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by yesman
Not sure about this one, but it seems possible...

If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle; if the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died as a result of wounds recieved in battle; if the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.


Maybe someone could varify it ?
False according to snopes

Chris W 09-05-2004 21:39
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sipowicz
This one I do know: The term "Toeing the Line" comes from the Houses of Parliament. In the days when our MP's WERE gentlemen and carried swords, heated debates often ended in sword fights between front benchers. In order to restrict this habit, the then Speaker ordered opposing MP's to stand opposite each other, sword tip to sword tip and a line was painted on the floor of the chamber at the tip of each foot. Afterwards, anyone making a speech from the front benches had to stand with their toes behind the line without crossing it!!
two more parlimentary facts...

1) the Queen has to knock to enter the House of Commons and cannot enter if she is not given permission.

2) the expression 'do you want to take this outside' also comes from parliament; a politician cannot be held to be slanderous for any comments made in the house of commons, so they would say nasty and possibly untrue things about it other knowing they could get away with it. If the person being insulted wasn't happy he would ask the other person if he wanted to take it outside, ie if you say it outside this room i will sue your ass :)
Many people think it comes from pub brawls, but years ago it was more common for the fights to be in the pubs rather than outside and people had on quarms about doing this!

MB

Xaccers 09-05-2004 21:48
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by scastle
Snopes agrees..

http://tinyurl.com/hai4

It also suggests "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge"
Quote:
Originally Posted by http://tinyurl.com/hai4
Claim: The word '****' derives from an acronymic phrase, either 'For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge' or 'Fornication Under Consent of the King.'
Status: False.

Xaccers 09-05-2004 21:51
Re: Did you know ?
 
Men can have multiple orgasms :naughty:

yesman 09-05-2004 22:04
Re: Did you know ?
 
In 1696, a window tax designed to hit the rich was introduced. Many responded by blocking up windows. The tax was doubled in 1784, and abolished in 1851.

yesman 09-05-2004 22:04
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Xaccers
Men can have multiple orgasms :naughty:
A pig's orgasm lasts for 30 minutes :erm:

Sipowicz 09-05-2004 22:12
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by monkeybreath
two more parlimentary facts...

MB
Nice one (s)

and another:

Petitions to parliament have to be placed in a Bag behind the speakers chair, hence a successful posting is referred to as being "in the bag"!!

Xaccers 09-05-2004 22:14
Re: Did you know ?
 
Letting the cat out of the bag comes from a pig-in-a-poke
Pigs used to be sold in sacks, but dishonest business men would catch a cat, put it in a bag and sell it as a pig.
When the buyer opened the bag, letting the cat out, the secret was revealed

homealone 09-05-2004 22:19
Re: Did you know ?
 
most substances shrink when they freeze & become more dense, as they cool.

- water becomes more dense as it cools until it reaches about 4°C, when it starts to become less dense - if this didn't happen, ice wouldn't float - and the water expands as it freezes, too.

Xaccers 09-05-2004 22:25
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by homealone
most substances shrink when they freeze & become more dense, as they cool.

- water becomes more dense as it cools until it reaches about 4°C, when it starts to become less dense - if this didn't happen, ice wouldn't float - and the water expands as it freezes, too.
I believe this is because gasses become less soluable as the water becomes more solid (colder), hence why you can get bubbles in ice cubes

yesman 09-05-2004 23:11
Re: Did you know ?
 
......that a cricket's ears are on its knees? That a fly has tastebuds on its feet

danielf 09-05-2004 23:17
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by scastle
Does anyone know why we use the "QWERTY" layout for keyboards, and not the more logical alphabetical layout?

Well, apparently the first generation of typewriters had an alphabetical layout. However the mechanism inside the typewriter could not keep up with the typist and jammed repeatedly. The Qwerty layout was designed to slow typists to the point where the mechanism could cope without jamming.

Computer keyboards could cope with the speed of human typists easily, but keep the same layout purely because it is now standard.
I was going to post this, but you beat me to it. It is true. Specifically, the hammers on old typewriters would get 'tangled up'. For now, we are stuck with one of the slowest keyboards possible. Several alternatives have been suggested since (promising ones allow you to type whole syllables in one go rather than individual letters), but since we're used to QWERTY, we seem to stick with it.

On a related note: there's several numeric keypads around. Phones usually have 1 2 3 as the top row, but calculators often have 1 2 3 as the bottom row (or left column). Neither of them is better ergonomically, but mixing them does increase error rates.

The alarm control panel in my house has only two rows 0-4 and 5-9. Silly engineers....

Ramrod 09-05-2004 23:37
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mal
False according to snopes
Ah....but that might be true of horse/rider statues in the UK. Just 'cos the US ones don't conform doesn't mean that the UK ones don't as well :)

Mal 09-05-2004 23:39
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ramrod
Ah....but that might be true of horse/rider statues in the UK. Just 'cos the US ones don't conform doesn't mean that the UK ones don't as well :)
Yeah, I did notice that all the examples were American. Could be a tradition which didn't travel across. :shrug: :)

iadom 09-05-2004 23:46
Re: Did you know ?
 
This could be apocryphal ( that looks wrong but I have checked) but apparently the word posh is supposed to come from the time when the hoi pollio, sailed out east. To get the best of the sun they would insist on their cabins being Port Out -Starboard Home.

Xaccers 09-05-2004 23:51
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by iadom
This could be apocryphal ( that looks wrong but I have checked) but apparently the word posh is supposed to come from the time when the hoi pollio, sailed out east. To get the best of the sun they would insist on their cabins being Port Out -Starboard Home.
That's what I thought, but....



This is supposed to be the legend printed on tickets of passengers on P&O (Peninsula and Orient) passenger vessels when travelling between UK and India in the days of the Raj. Britain and India are both in the northern hemisphere so the port (left-hand side) berths were mostly in the shade when travelling out (easterly) and the starboard ones when coming back. So the best and most expensive berths were POSH, hence the term. A very plausible and attractive explanation, but this does appear to be an idea that was dreamed up retrospectively to match an existing meaning. P&O say they have never issued such tickets and, although many tickets from that era still exist, no 'POSH' ones have been found. Numerous letters and literary works also remain from the British Raj but nothing has been found which confirms the word being used in that context. The word doesn't seem to have been used in print before a Punch cartoon dated 1918. The term was used from the mid 19th century to mean a dandy and that is the more likely derivation for the current meaning.

Shaun 10-05-2004 00:01
Re: Did you know ?
 
1 Attachment(s)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Xaccers
I believe this is because gasses become less soluable as the water becomes more solid (colder), hence why you can get bubbles in ice cubes

I can answer this one, its because of the Hydrogen bonds that are formed, and the shape of the crystal that is formed when water freezes. Basically the water molecules are closer together when liquid than when solid. A drawing can show it better, I'll have to dig one out I did for an assignment.

Edit - diagram in the attached PDF

Nikko 10-05-2004 00:03
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Xaccers
Men can have multiple orgasms :naughty:
Come again?

Paul 10-05-2004 00:03
Re: Did you know ?
 
I've always heard it said that according to some law of aerodynamics (or something) - a bumble bee should not be able to fly.

iadom 10-05-2004 00:04
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Xaccers
That's what I thought, but....



This is supposed to be the legend printed on tickets of passengers on P&O (Peninsula and Orient) passenger vessels when travelling between UK and India in the days of the Raj. Britain and India are both in the northern hemisphere so the port (left-hand side) berths were mostly in the shade when travelling out (easterly) and the starboard ones when coming back. So the best and most expensive berths were POSH, hence the term. A very plausible and attractive explanation, but this does appear to be an idea that was dreamed up retrospectively to match an existing meaning. P&O say they have never issued such tickets and, although many tickets from that era still exist, no 'POSH' ones have been found. Numerous letters and literary works also remain from the British Raj but nothing has been found which confirms the word being used in that context. The word doesn't seem to have been used in print before a Punch cartoon dated 1918. The term was used from the mid 19th century to mean a dandy and that is the more likely derivation for the current meaning.
right smart arse;) now tell me what becks means:D

Xaccers 10-05-2004 00:05
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pem
I've always heard it said that according to some law of aerodynamics (or something) - a bumble bee should not be able to fly.
That was before they actually studied how a bumble bee flies.

Marge 10-05-2004 00:07
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by iadom
right smart arse;) now tell me what becks means:D
Becks = gorgeous hunky sexy minxster

and I like post 38 :D

Stuart 10-05-2004 00:30
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Debsy42
Becks = gorgeous hunky sexy minxster

and I like post 38 :D
Wouldn't you prefer women to have multiple orgasms?

ZrByte 10-05-2004 00:38
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nikko
Quote:
Originally Posted by xaccers
Men can have multiple orgasms
Come again?
Is that a pun??? :Yikes: :disturbd:

Stuart 10-05-2004 00:40
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Xaccers
Men can have multiple orgasms :naughty:
True... I know .....

Xaccers 10-05-2004 00:41
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by scastle
Wouldn't you prefer women to have multiple orgasms?
Nothing beats simultanious multiple orgasms

Xaccers 10-05-2004 00:42
Re: Did you know ?
 
Nipple stimulation can help induce labour if things are taking their time (the mother's nipples not the fathers!).
Semen also helps the cervix dilate.

Nikko 10-05-2004 00:46
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by ZrByte
Is that a pun??? :Yikes: :disturbd:
Well spotted!

Xaccers 10-05-2004 00:49
Re: Did you know ?
 
Men can lactate if stimulated long enough

Paul 10-05-2004 00:51
Re: Did you know ?
 
Guys (& Gals) please remember that this is a family forum :)

Nikko 10-05-2004 00:55
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pem
Guys (& Gals) please remember that this is a family forum :)
Some processes need to be done to evoke a family ;)

But some people do seem to be milking it :eek:

Oh no thats another thread - sorry

Xaccers 10-05-2004 01:05
Re: Did you know ?
 
... if you give Nikko long enough, he'll make you groan with his jokes :D

Sipowicz 10-05-2004 01:18
Re: Did you know ?
 
Did you know....... that Col David Stirling (founder of the SAS) had been recommended for the DFC (Distinguished Flying Cross) as his unit (the SAS) had destroyed more enemy aircraft in Africa in 1942, than the RAF had!

Xaccers 10-05-2004 01:25
Re: Did you know ?
 
Polar bears are actually black skinned

punky 10-05-2004 17:50
Re: Did you know ?
 
Apparently, the Turkmenistan dictator Saparmurat Niyazov is barking. According to Zoo Weekly:

1. He has errected a gold statue of himself that revolves so the sun is always behind it.

2. He has created a national holiday as a mark of respect for the melon.

3. He recommends gnawing on bones to keep teeth healthy.

4. He made ballet illegal because it is "unnescessary".

5. He ordered the world's biggest shoe to show the great strides his government had made.

6. He has named a yoghurt, a meteorite, the month of January, and the worlds biggest carpet after himself.

7. In febuary this year, he banned beards.

8. He has decreed that adolesence lasts until 25.

9.He has written his own bible.

Marge 10-05-2004 17:55
Re: Did you know ?
 
Did you know I'm in work till 8 pm and don't want to be :cry:

Ramrod 10-05-2004 18:18
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Debsy42
Did you know I'm in work till 8 pm and don't want to be :cry:
:sorry: so am I :)

danielf 10-05-2004 18:33
Re: Did you know ?
 
Former Burmese dictator Ne Win's lucky number was nine. For this reason, for years, Burma had bank notes of 90 and 45 kyat (9+0=9, 4+5 =9) (as well 15 kyat notes).

Shopkeeper:That'll be 210 kyat.
Customer: Here's 3 90s, give me a 15 and a 45 back :erm:

Theodoric 10-05-2004 20:55
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by homealone
most substances shrink when they freeze & become more dense, as they cool.

- water becomes more dense as it cools until it reaches about 4°C, when it starts to become less dense - if this didn't happen, ice wouldn't float - and the water expands as it freezes, too.
It's all to do with hydrogen bonds. :) As is the fact that H2S is a gas at room temperature, whereas H2O is a liquid.

Theodoric 10-05-2004 20:58
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by yesman
......that a cricket's ears are on its knees? That a fly has tastebuds on its feet
And that you can fit the frequency of the sound emitted by said cricket to the ambient temperature by means of an Arrenhius plot.

Theodoric 10-05-2004 20:59
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Xaccers
Men can lactate if stimulated long enough
We want proof (preferably photographic) of this claim! :D

Theodoric 10-05-2004 21:06
Re: Did you know ?
 
A forlorn hope has nothing to do with hope, forlorn or otherwise. It comes from the Dutch, verloren hoop, meaning the lost troop. It described the body of men, generally volunteers, who charged into the breech made in fortifications. If you survived (quite unlikely), there was a good chance of promotion. The French equivalent is les enfants perdus, the lost children.

yesman 10-05-2004 21:42
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Theodoric
And that you can fit the frequency of the sound emitted by said cricket to the ambient temperature by means of an Arrenhius plot.
If you could count the number of times a cricket chirps in one minute, divide by 2, add 9 and divide by 2 again, you would have the correct temperature in celcius degrees.

strange

sir_drinks_alot 10-05-2004 21:46
Re: Did you know ?
 
you are as old as you feel

Graham 10-05-2004 22:42
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by sir_drinks_alot
you are as old as you feel
I thought it was "you are as old as the woman you feel"!! :naughty:

sir_drinks_alot 10-05-2004 23:00
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Graham
I thought it was "you are as old as the woman you feel"!! :naughty:
some times that is the case :naughty:

Sipowicz 10-05-2004 23:03
Re: Did you know ?
 
Did you know....... that the Beatles "White Album" was the first ever double "pop" album! (or so I am led to understand!)

Ramrod 10-05-2004 23:07
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Graham
I thought it was "you are as old as the woman you feel"!! :naughty:
In that case, I'm 42 :naughty:

danielf 10-05-2004 23:09
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Graham
I thought it was "you are as old as the woman you feel"!! :naughty:
Just imagine that line followed by the words "Your Honour" :disturbd: :erm:

Sipowicz 10-05-2004 23:10
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ramrod
In that case, I'm 42 :naughty:
and I'm 39, but I look 25 !!!! (lol)

sir_drinks_alot 10-05-2004 23:14
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ramrod
In that case, I'm 42 :naughty:
and am 21 :naughty: lol don't tell the boss about the wondering hands now will you ;)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sipowicz
Did you know....... that the Beatles "White Album" was the first ever double "pop" album! (or so I am led to understand!)
yep that's right it was and what a Kick ass Album it was to

Graham 11-05-2004 03:24
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ramrod
Quote:
I thought it was "you are as old as the woman you feel"!!
In that case, I'm 42 :naughty:
But is that age or bust size...?!?!? :naughty: :naughty: :naughty:

Ahem, moving swiftly back on topic before I get into any more trouble...!

Did you know that the "Traditional Ploughman's Lunch" was actually the creation of marketing company in the 1970's to encourage people to eat pub food.

Stuart 11-05-2004 09:16
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ramrod
:sorry: so am I :)
I thought you were self employed. Mind you, even if you are, you still have to stick to opening hours.

I am at work till 9 today.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Theodoric
We want proof (preferably photographic) of this claim! :D
Speak for yourself..

Atomic22 11-05-2004 18:54
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by yesman
In 1696, a window tax designed to hit the rich was introduced. Many responded by blocking up windows. The tax was doubled in 1784, and abolished in 1851.
this window tax was the originator of the saying "daylight robbery" as the more daylight you let in , the more the taxman robbed you

Theodoric 11-05-2004 21:08
Re: Did you know ?
 
There is a small village in Sweden that has no less than 4 of the chemical elements named after it.

Chimaera 11-05-2004 21:12
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Theodoric
There is a small village in Sweden that has no less than 4 of the chemical elements named after it.
Do tell - what is it called then?

danielf 11-05-2004 21:13
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Theodoric
There is a small village in Sweden that has no less than 4 of the chemical elements named after it.
And the village is Ytterby. The elements Erbium, Terbium, Yttrium and Ytterbium. I know, I'm sad, but I was intrigued and looked it up...
:walk:

Theodoric 11-05-2004 21:18
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by danielf
And the village is Ytterby. The elements Erbium, Terbium, Yttrium and Ytterbium. I know, I'm sad, but I was intrigued and looked it up...
:walk:
OK, time for some real anoraking. :) Ytterby is pronounced something like 'ooterbee' and it means something like 'outer village' (remember all those place names in the north ending in 'by' that were named by the Vikings).

Sipowicz 12-05-2004 22:25
Re: Did you know ?
 
Did you know...... that Anoraknaphobia is the fear of train spotters!

Sipowicz 12-05-2004 22:26
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by sir_drinks_alot
yep that's right it was and what a Kick ass Album it was to
I preferred Revolver!

iadom 19-05-2004 15:59
Re: Did you know ?
 
Did you know that Sweden has a National "Pee outside Day" designed to save water and remove prudish inhibitions.:D

Defiant 19-05-2004 16:02
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by iadom
Did you know that Sweden has a National "Pee outside Day" designed to save water and remove prudish inhibitions.:D
Prudish , inhibitions & Sweden get our of here lol

Theodoric 19-05-2004 19:06
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by iadom
Did you know that Sweden has a National "Pee outside Day" designed to save water and remove prudish inhibitions.:D
And in mid-winter it's renamed National Popsicle Day.

Stuart W 19-05-2004 20:25
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Xaccers
Letting the cat out of the bag comes from a pig-in-a-poke
Pigs used to be sold in sacks, but dishonest business men would catch a cat, put it in a bag and sell it as a pig.
When the buyer opened the bag, letting the cat out, the secret was revealed
Nope.

The 'cat' was a cat-o-nine-tails used to punish men at sea.
It was kept in a bag on the main mast as a reminder to the crew about harsh punishment.

Also,
You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours is from the same place!
Officers were not allowed to punish the crew directly as this would lead to mutiny, so instead they would order another member of the crew to issue the punishment.
You must be hit by the 'cat' until you bleed, hence, you scratch my back instead of lacerating it, and I'll scratch yours when your punishment comes.

And another....
3 square meals a day....
It was hard to get people to go to sea as it was a dangerous life.
One of the bonuses advertised was 3 square meals a day. The square part comes from the 'plates' used at sea (in the times of Nelson and before) they consisted of a square of wood with wooden rdges tacked to it. This stoped the 'plates' sliding around when not in use.

Earl of Bronze 19-05-2004 20:55
Re: Did you know ?
 
Did you know that the term ' Freeze the Balls of a Brass Monkey' is an old British naval term. The cannonballs (made of cast iron) where stacked in a pyramidal shape, and kept in place by a Brass Monkey. When the weather was really cold, the cannonballs would shrink and then fall out of place as the ship pitched on the ocean.

Russ 19-05-2004 21:05
Re: Did you know ?
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Earl of Bronze
When the weather was really cold, the cannonballs would shrink and then fall out of place
:disturbd:

Yep.


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